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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28871862">Chaz and The Cooper Gang: Thieves In Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsThatATofu/pseuds/IsThatATofu'>IsThatATofu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chaz and the Cooper Gang [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sly Cooper (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Action/Adventure, Crimes &amp; Criminals, Drama, Established Relationship, Humor, Inappropriate Humor, Long, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Romance, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Smut, Villains</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:47:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>50,706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28871862</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsThatATofu/pseuds/IsThatATofu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Months after the defeat of Dr. M and the reclaiming of Sly’s family heirloom, life has been all but favorable for the couple. Chaz and Sly, seemingly retired from the thieving life, spent their days now at a job where the clock ticked until their shift was over. But that wasn’t a life for the couple and fate knew so, especially since a new problem arose. It’s now a race against time to save Sly and his family history from being erased completely. Chaz, with the help of his old friends and multiple cunning raccoons, work together to fight for the past and to protect the future.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sly Cooper/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chaz and the Cooper Gang [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071770</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper or any of the characters in the series.</p><p>Hello, beautiful people! o/</p><p>So, ya... it’s Thieves in Time but I’m sure you knew that. Um... I don’t really have much to say here other than it’s nice to see you all again and if you’re new... heyya. </p><p>Like the last story, this one will follow the schedule of a post EVERY Friday! (Yes, quote me on it!) </p><p>That’s all really. </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 1</span>
</h1><p>
  <span>The marking of a beautiful day in Paris with every couple together out on the streets. Many took their lover to breakfast, a calm stroll in the park, shopping, or even went the more relaxing route with a session of cuddles together on the couch. Love was in the air…But not for all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley, a “tech wizard” in the Cooper Gang has been living the life with his girlfriend, Penelope, a tech and robotics specialist who shared the same genius mindset as him. One day, she suddenly vanished without a word or clue to her whereabouts. Bentley looked everywhere, called every number, and even went around town asking people if they have seen her but to no avail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dusk of dawn swiftly approached and Bentley was going home without a single lead. He couldn’t go to the police to help, they simply would arrest him on the spot for being a well known thief. He was stuck in a predicament and his mind was flooded with worried thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wished he had the others with him. He simply lacked the mobility to search large distances in a short time. Not to mention it would help to have others looking out, asking for where Penelope could’ve gone. He felt hopeless, almost empty inside knowing that she could be anywhere right now. </span>
</p><p><span>As he made his way through his home he passed by his lab. What usually was a common trip felt a bit different this time. He sensed a sort of energy emitting from the</span> crack of space under the door. </p><p>
  <span>“Well that’s strange,” he thought to himself. He put his hand to the security device on the door and allowed the machine to read his handprint. An upbeat melody played through the device which was followed by the door sliding vertically up, allowing entrance into the lab. A gust of wind blew by him, completely shocking him seeing as the ventilation system wasn’t turned on in the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no explanation for the breeze but something else felt even more odd than that. The strange presence of energy in the room intensified greatly once he fully entered. Bentley perceived it as a sort of tingle along with a low suction that made the skin on his body draw towards the middle of the room. The phenomenon was strange seeing as the only thing present in the room was the Thievius Raccoonus resting in a secured case. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley sported a confused look, completely flabbergasted as to what could be causing this feeling. Could it have been because he was completely exhausted from searching for hours? Was he imagining this? No, it felt all too real to him and he knew something was wrong. He was always the cautious type anyways, so just to be sure, he was going to run some tests. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Computer, run a diagnostic analysis of the state of the Thievius Raccoonus,” Bentley announced openly in the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Affirmative. Running program V.82 now,” the feminine robotic voice responded back. Bentley waited a few moments as the computer ran through its security measures to see if anything was happening from his highly advanced technology inside the room. To his surprise, something did come up, and the computer quickly labeled it as a threat. The room began to flash a light shade of red and a projector inside the room pulled up a virtual screen in front of the case protecting the Thievius Raccoonus. The screen was littered with error signs of red caution symbols, exclamation marks, and several x shapes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley made haste to the case and entered the security code to disable the protection on it. The glass covering the book was lifted by a machine and presented it to him which he took with no hesitation. He opened the book and flipped through the pages, and a mix of confusion and anxiety began to flow through him. The first few pages of the book had its word explaining the works and history of the Coopers slowly disappearing right in front of him. Word by word, it vanished into thin air right from the grainy page of the book with no clear reason how. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was an emergency. He rushed out of the room and to his office then to his filing cabinet. He shifted through hoards of papers and documents before coming across what he was looking for; the letter from the night of the Vault heist, left by none other than Sly. He opened it and quickly scanned through the letter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, gang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just want to start this off by letting you know Chaz and I are safe. I had to do some quick thinking to keep Carmelita from arresting us and I think it worked. It’s looking like she’s gonna take Chaz and I under her wing so we don’t get put in jail. Never thought I would be a cop but I always thought I’d look good in uniform. We’ll be back in Paris so I’m sure you’ll be able to find us if you need to. In the meantime, take it easy guys, you all deserve it. As for Chaz and I, we’re gonna take some time off from the gang, get some alone time... if you catch my drift. But don’t you worry your little head pals, we’ll be back, just give us time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>xoxoxo</span>
</p><p>
  <span>P.S: ooo for you guys, xxx for the little cutie along with me. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Sly”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking in the information about him once again, he wasted no time going to his computer. Using his hacking skills, he hacked into the Interpol’s website to go through their files about any events that may be taking place. He knew Carmelita usually attended most, if not all of them, and if she was going then the other two were likely too as well, especially Chaz. Any event with free drinks was Heaven on Earth for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scrolled through the event calendar and read each event one by one, eventually following it all the way down to the current date. To his luck, he saw that the office was invited to a party at the newly opened museum in honor of their grand opening. With no time to waste, he collected his belongings and went off to find Sly and Chaz.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<h2>
  <span>End of Chapter 1 </span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 2</h1><p> </p><p>“Sly, you’re going to embarrass us! Get over here, let me fix your tie.” </p><p>Inside their apartment, Chaz and Sly were getting ready to go to the grand opening of a new Museum. The party was going to start soon and the two were putting their finishing touches on their outfits. Chaz wore his navy blue tuxedo with his smart watch Sly bought for his birthday while Sly dressed in his black tuxedo with a red rose boutonnière Chaz bought for the night.</p><p>Sly smiled as he made his way to his bossy, talented, wonderful, caring, sweet, boyfriend and lover. He couldn’t help but stare at his white fox fixing his suit while showing one of the looks he fell in love with. Sly always found it funny when Chaz had his little sour expression, especially when he was annoyed with him as well. It always made for fun teasing and jokes afterwards. </p><p>“You’re cute when you’re mad,” Sly said. </p><p>Chaz purposely tugged hard on the tie, making Sly bend down to his eye level. “Shut up. I’m not doing this tonight,” his harsh tone made Sly smirk. </p><p>“I thought you would be happy that we’re going out to party.” </p><p>“The only reason we’re going to this stupid ‘party’ is because you won’t drop this amnesia thing.” </p><p>“I told you I’m thinking of a way to get us out of this.” </p><p>“You <em> thinking </em> got us into this in the first place!” </p><p>Ouch. He knew he wasn’t going to flirt his way out of this one. While this wasn’t his first time hearing this from Chaz, he could tell that it really started bothering him. Chaz hated working at Interpol and living a life he felt like he’s being forced to live, especially having to hide his relationship with him. Ever since they got back to Paris after the incident with Dr. M, Chaz’s attitude changed dramatically. He was rarely his go happy self, and when he was it did not last long. Sly could tell he missed the others and missed being free from the shackles of his new life. </p><p>Sly always felt bad after Chaz would bring it up. It was a pit of guilt he would often have to go to sleep with at night. Knowing Chaz was unhappy because of him made him resent himself. He thought this would be more like a vacation with him, seeing as they often got to attend high-end places Carmelita treated them to and didn’t have the law constantly chasing them, but that wasn’t the case.</p><p>While in mid-thought, Chaz finished with his tie and started to walk away from him. Before he could get out of his reach, Sly grabbed onto his shoulder, bringing his attention to him. His actions were faster than his thoughts, so he hesitated to speak for a moment. </p><p>“I’m… I’m sorry for this. I thought this would be a good time for us but I see that it’s not, especially for you. The last thing I ever want to do is make you unhappy. If you can give me time I promise I can figure out something.” </p><p>Chaz sighed and attempted to calm himself down. “...I know you can, I guess I’m just overreacting a bit… heh… It’s only been two months but I can’t stand it anymore. I miss the others and our fun exciting life.” He hugged Sly in an attempt to make himself feel better for yelling at him. Chaz always knew how badly Sly felt after he brought the amnesia topic up. Though he doesn’t like to admit it, it was their only thing keeping them from not going to jail on that night.</p><p>But, even so, life after just felt so bland. Waking up, catching criminals with Carmelita, going home, and sometimes arguing out of annoyance to only repeat it the next day. The two haven’t been on a date for two months simply because they can’t be seen together and this only affected Chaz’s romantic drive. Sly still tried to do things with him but Chaz always just called it off, stating how he was tired or simply just didn’t want to. </p><p>Sly placed his head on Chaz’s shoulder. “Don’t stay mad at me,” he whispered. </p><p>“I’m not. Besides,” he paused to take his hand from his side to place it on Sly’s belt line. He slipped his hand down his pants before beginning to fondle him outside his underwear. “I always have a good way of changing my attitude,” his warm breath traveled around the lobe of Sly’s ear, making him shutter slightly. </p><p>“Oh- oh… hoho… Do you now? Mind showing me what puts a smile on your face?”</p><p>“I don’t know if we have time...” </p><p>Sly grabbed onto Chaz’s arms and gently pushed him back to the wall, pinning him against it. “I’ll make time.” </p><p>Chaz’s legs began to wobble as Sly roamed his body with hands. The warmth in his face grew as Sly lined his neck with love bites which traveled down from his adam’s apple to his collarbone. Quiet peeps and squeaks came out of Chaz which only encouraged Sly to continue on. While doing so, a buzz emitted from Chaz’s wrist and he lifted his hand to look at the screen. His shaky vision didn’t stop the message from coming out as clear as day. </p><p>“I’m here. Where are you two?</p><p>Sent at 9:46 by Carmelita” </p><p>“Uuuuugh,” Chaz let out an annoyed groan which caused Sly to stop. “Yeah, we really don’t have time. Guess who just texted me?” </p><p>“No way,” Sly said before he looked at the message on the watch. “Wow, just when I was setting the mood too.” </p><p>“Yes, the ‘grinding on my thigh while slobbering on my neck’ mood.” </p><p>“Admit it, you loved it~.” </p><p>“That’s besides the point, now come on, we have to go chat it up with a bunch of entitled rich people.” </p><p>The ride to the museum with Carmelita went as expected. An awkward interaction went first, a bit of work talk, and then a group karaoke session to end the ride. It tore down any regrets Chaz had of going to the party and he sensed himself becoming more accepting of the situation. Time with Carmelita isn’t all that bad, he just doesn’t enjoy hiding a second life from her seeing as she’s done so much for them. A thought that drifted in his mind here and there will probably always plague him until they  come clean but that won’t hold Chaz back from enjoying himself tonight. </p><p>The door to their car was opened by the valet of the Museum. Chaz tried to thank the man but soon realized it was an ex from his past. He visibly cringed and hid his face from the man, trying not to start a problem. Sly left the car behind Chaz and caught up to him. </p><p>“Have a good night, Constable Cooper.”</p><p>Ugh, his voice. Chaz rolled his eyes and waited for Sly to catch up to him. He took the time to glance at the building ahead, taking notice of its marvelous new design. The rectangular building was all white with multiple sets of windows creating an even pattern on throughout that lit up in the night. As people arrived, they went in through the two large doors between a set of columns. Just from the looks of it, the event was certainly a formal party, just as Chaz dreaded. </p><p>“Woah, you’re eager to go on,” Sly said from behind him. </p><p>Chaz was slightly startled before realizing it with him. “Actually it was my ex. The last thing I want to do is talk to him, especially since I stole his sweater from him.”</p><p>“WHAT?!” Sly exclaimed before snapping his head to glare down the figure greeting the guests in the background. “Is that the one that said you were ugly?”</p><p>“Don’t get us kicked out of the party please.” </p><p>“I’d just like a few words,” Sly calmly asked. </p><p>“I’m flattered, really, but Carmelita will have our heads if you beat up someone,” he paused after realizing Carmelita was nowhere to be seen, having expected her to follow them. “Speaking of, where’s Carmelita?” </p><p>“She went on ahead. Apparently she’s VIP or something.” </p><p>“What?! We’re in the same unit as her! Why aren’t we VIP?!” </p><p>“You didn’t accept the invite because you didn’t want to be here.” </p><p>“Huh?” he took a moment to remember what happened. He was going to argue that statement but the memory came to him as bright as day. “Oh, right. Whatever, we’re the hottest looking people here, we are the VIP!” </p><p>“Okay, Dimitri…” Sly muffled. </p><p>Chaz stomped forward, still slightly upset that he wasn’t getting the speciality treatment. Sly didn’t stray too far behind and stuck close to his fox as they went inside. </p>
<h2>End of The Chapter 2</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 3</h1><p>People in the room were inspecting and discussing the valuable pieces of artifacts displayed throughout the museum. More and more rare artworks were being hauled in by a group and it would quickly become a point of interest for everyone in the museum, besides the two thieves in disguise. Sly and Chaz stood back from the hoards of faces grouping up to see the new attractions. They enjoyed their time dropping their Interpol character and making fun of people while indulging in their free drinks and food and they were able to as well. Carmelita was one with the crowd and left the two to do their own thing. </p><p>“It’s weird being in a museum and not taking something,” Chaz said to Sly. </p><p>“You felt that too, huh? Really brings back some memories.” </p><p>“The food’s good though. I can’t stop-'' Chaz paused after noticing someone staring at him from across the room. Chaz felt awkward at first to catch his gaze but after another quick glance, the man was still staring. “Umm…” </p><p>“What? What’s wrong?” </p><p>“That guy over there won’t stop staring at me.” </p><p>Sly followed Chaz’s gaze until he saw the same guy he was talking about. It was a lavish skunk dressed in a grey suit looking straight at Chaz. </p><p>“That guy?” Sly said as he pointed to him.</p><p>“Don't point at- Oh my gosh now he’s coming over! My gosh, I don’t want to talk to this loser!”</p><p>The well dressed skunk walked up to the two while revealing a toothy grin. “Constable Mardent, Constable Cooper, what a pleasure to meet you two,” he said before holding out his hand to Sly. Sly shook his hand and greeted him back. He then turned his hand to Chaz to shake it, yet it didn’t end as quickly as Sly’s. He held onto it a little longer and rubbed his thumb on the top of Chaz’s hand while gently grasping it. Chaz snatched his hand back and put it in his pocket to hide his clenched fist. </p><p>“I’m Cyrille Le Paradox. How are you two on this fine evening?” he continued before he took a shallow sip of his drink in hand while watching Chaz. </p><p>Chaz was already sick of this guy and held back what he really wanted to say. Anything they do is reflected back to Carmelita so if they were reckless, Carmelita hears it. </p><p>“I’m fine. A little bored but fine.” </p><p>The man began laughing at Chaz with no clear reason why. Chaz glanced at Sly with a confused look and Sly shrugged his shoulders in return. It was almost uncomfortable hearing the man laughing randomly. </p><p>“Right,” Sly drifted off mid sentence while he waited for Cyrille to stop his laughing fit. “Is there something you wanted to tell us?”</p><p>Cyrille perked up and regathered himself, following through by fixing the creases in his tuxedo and clearing his throat. “No reason really. I just wanted to obtain the attention of Chaz here. I heard he’s quite the interesting fellow.” </p><p>And so it’s been confirmed. Chaz was being flirted with by a possibly drunk skunk who had the guts to talk to him. It was an interesting way of not making it straight forward but he had his suspicion after being watched for three minutes across the room. </p><p>During that time another piece of artwork was being brought in and the workers so happened to pass by them. Chaz took notice of the relic protected in its glass chamber and awed from its state of beauty. It was an ancient Japanese helmet in almost pristine condition with only a layer of glass stopping anyone from touching it. His eyes followed the piece being lifted from behind Cyrille.</p><p>“Woah…” Chaz said before turning his head to face Sly who also took an equal interest into the beauty in the room. Nothing else jumped out to the two like that helmet did. It brought back the urge inside them… the itch to take it from its pedestal and run off with it into the night, claiming it as theirs. </p><p>“Ah, I see you’ve taken interest in one of the many pieces offered here,” the man said with a twirl of the liquid inside his glass. “I was able to...er... <em> buy </em>it from an auction just the other day,” </p><p>Chaz snapped out from his trance and his ears twitched after hearing what Cyrulle said. <em> “Hmm? What was that all about?” </em>Chaz said to himself while keeping his eyes on the now cocky standing man in front of him. “You brought these antiques? I can only imagine what that might’ve cost you.” </p><p>“Well, perhaps I lied a bit. Let’s just say I have a… <em> unique </em>way of obtaining these pieces. Every man must have their secret.” </p><p>Chaz squinted towards the man, noticing his change of attitude. He started to replay what Cyrille said, almost nitpicking every word to try to put something together. He remembered from the office that there were rumors of some sort of criminal trade going on involving other museum antiques missing all around Paris and ending up at the Black Market. He wasn’t sure of it yet but now that he was thinking of it, this was a pretty convenient time to open a Museum. He had to alert Sly to his suspicion without seeming off. </p><p>“I’m feeling a bit winded. Will you excuse me for a moment?” Chaz asked before turning around and grabbing a hold of Sly’s wrist to drag him along with him. He led him to the balcony outside and shut the glass doors behind them. </p><p>“I’m gonna take a lucky guess and say you didn’t lead me out here to make out, huh?” Sly jokingly said to Chaz. </p><p>“Sly, I-I think there’s something going on behind the scenes here. I remember reading about some Japanese helmet going missing and being reported on the Black Market but was sold before the Interpol could intervene. It’s weird that they somehow have a Japanese helmet on display at this time.”</p><p>“You think so? It was pretty strange how he was talking to you, albeit the obvious flirting.” </p><p>“Oh, don’t remind me, I almost gagged,” Chaz paused for a moment and took a deep breath. He was a bit nervous but he had the hunch that something was amidst here. If his guess were to be true, that helmet was stolen, which would make for a perfect heist to steal it back. “What do you say we come back later and look into this some more? </p><p>Sly stood quietly and eyed the worked up fox. He felt exactly what Chaz felt while in that room. The helmet glistened with a holy light that sounded as if it was calling out to him to take it from its glass prison, especially if it was owned by another thief. Looking back, being on the run gave their life excitement, joy, happiness, which not only affected him but his relationship. He couldn’t take being an officer anymore and finally dropping this whole act means they can go back to being who they really were; Master Thieves. </p><p>“Let’s do it.” </p><p>Chaz shot up from his slouched position over the railings. His ears pointed straight to the sky, his tail alert, his hands clutching the white, textured concrete. “Are you serious?” </p><p>“Yeah, let’s do it. We’ll come back later, scout it out, and take that helmet if this guy ends up being who we think he is.”</p><p>Chaz jumped from excitement. “Yes! I can’t believe we’re actually doing it! God I can just kiss you!”</p><p>“What’s stopping you?” he smirked at Chaz and held out his arms. Chaz was ready to run into them and celebrate the end of their boring life but the knock on the glass behind alerted them. The door opened and Carmelita entered through. </p><p>“Are you two alright? Cyrille told me Chaz wasn’t feeling good,” Carmelita questioned.</p><p>Chaz totally forgot about Carmelita being here. There was no way she was just going to let them go without a good excuse. </p><p>While faking a sickly voice, he clenched onto his stomach with his hands. “I think the food isn’t sitting right with me…” </p><p>Sly caught on quick to the act Chaz was trying to pull. “Are you going to be okay?” he said in an over dramatic worried tone.</p><p>“Chaz, I don’t know if you should stay any longer. Do you wanna head home? I can call you a cab if you want to,” Carmelita asked.</p><p>“Maybe I should… The last thing anyone needs to see is my art show,” he joked before faking another cramp in his stomach. </p><p>“Come on, I’ll take you home,” Sly grabbed Chaz’s hand and started to escort him out before stopping next to Carmelita. “Enjoy the party, Carmelita. We’ll see you back at the office on Monday.” </p><p>“Okay, Cooper. Stay safe.” </p><p>Together they made their way out of the museum crowded with people. Chaz held in a gleam as he was just too excited to finally be back to thieving, especially with Sly. The two approached the exit which was free of a claustrophobic crowd, still anticipating their night ahead. Right before Sly was about to open the door for Chaz, another voice called out from behind them. </p><p>“Leaving so soon?” Cyrille asked as he walked through the crowd, wine glass still in hand. </p><p>Chaz turned his head and hid an irritated groan from the man. “Yeah, I’m not feeling all that well. Think I ate a bit too much, haha.” </p><p>“Aw, that’s upsetting. I enjoyed your company today, Mr. Mardent. I do hope I can see you again sometime, I’d love to discuss some things with you. I have some big plans than I think you’d love to be a part of.” </p><p>“Maybe you’ll catch me around. I can’t promise anything, however. I’m very good friends with my shadow.” </p><p>With that, Chaz left through the front doors with Sly following behind, giving a rather cocky smile to the skunk. Sly stepped outside and immediately felt the cold breeze orush past him. A typical night in Paris, the full moon shone across the land and casted enough light to give the buildings around them a shadow. He embraced the familiar sense of the night, knowing he’ll be back to explore it later. </p><p>“This’ll be good,” Sly said.</p><p>Chaz jumped from around the corner and pushed Sly against the wall next to the door, taking him into a deep kiss. Sly was shocked at first but quickly eased into the feeling of the smaller fox’s body pressed against his own. Their tongues explored each other’s mouth and their hands roamed one another’s body. Passion filled moans came from the two as their lust built for each other. </p><p>Chaz departed from Sly and smiled. “You have no clue how happy you make me.”</p><p>“I think I got a hint to that,” he cupped Chaz’s bottom and spun him around so that his back was now against the wall. He put his forehead onto Chaz’s and looked deep into his eyes, seeing the passion in his eyes glimmer. Sly took his hand and placed it under Chaz’s thigh to lift up his leg so that he could press against him some more. The two grinded against each other while continuing their kiss once more. Sly felt his pants grow tighter and tighter from the tiny moans that came from Chaz. </p><p>Sly lifted his head from the kiss to bring his mouth close to Chaz’s ear. “How about we take this back to the apartment?” he whispered.</p><p>Chaz quietly giggled. “I hope I can hold off until then.”</p><h2>End of The Chapter 3</h2><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>“Woah, is this a... surprise chapter?!”</p><p>Ya, it is. Let’s just say school is beating me up and it’s only the second week. I did have time to write a little and relax however so this is for y’all. </p><p>k that’s all bye o/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 4</h1><p> </p><p>It was early in the morning by the time Sly and Chaz finished their romantic night with each other. They only had a few hours until sunrise so they couldn’t dwell any longer. Before rushing off to the museum, they had to do some research on what exactly they were working with. They haven’t looked much into it after that, but the two had a strange suspicion. Truth be told, the owner of the museum was dealing in the black market antiques worth millions. </p><p>They cleaned up their mess, put out the candles scattered throughout the room, and began getting dressed for their mission. Along the way, two found difficulty in putting together their outfit for the heist seeing as they didn’t have their usual clothing. The two dressed in grey sweatpants and a black sweater but Chaz went above and beyond with the stereotypical black beanie. </p><p>“I look old,” Sly said as he examined himself in the mirror. He didn’t have his usual mask or his blue uniform to accentuate his self-proclaimed cunning look. He brushed his fingers through his hair in an attempt to fix his bed head besides it proving ineffective. </p><p>Chaz stood next to Sly and looked at himself through the mirror as well. “Pfft, we look like amateurs,” he said. </p><p>The two awkwardly stood in the mirror just staring at their reflections. It was odd, almost as if they really were starting off with their first heist. A blank slate at first slowly turned into a silly smile before the couple broke out in laughter. They were way too happy to be back where they belong. </p><p>“I’m ready if you are, handsome,” Chaz said. </p><p>“As am I. Let’s do this.” </p><p>They headed out to the museum from their apartment, using the rooftop to venture across the city of Paris. True to their past, the two were mere shadows in the night as they used the environment to their advantage. The rush of the cold nightly breeze chilled their skin yet their adrenaline coursing through them kept them pushing on. Closer and closer they got to the museum and their excitement only grew.</p><p>The two eventually came to a stop at a building overlooking the museum. Only a couple hours ago the place was populated with people but now seemed like a complete ghost town, which was perfect for them. Chaz used an old pair of binoculars and scouted out the yard behind the museum, reporting everything he saw back to Sly. Further inspection brought their attention to a line of trucks pulling into the museum one by one with guards quickly unloading antiques from inside the trucks. It was weird that they were doing so at an ungodly hour.</p><p>“Let me see what they’re doing,” Sly requested. Chaz tossed over the binoculars and Sly put his eyes up to the machine. He scanned the area below, observing the men at work carefully sneaking in artworks into the museum. As he continued to survey the area, his binocucom vision suddenly blacked out. </p><p>He laughed slightly, thinking Chaz was messing with him. “Alright babe, let go so I can see what they’re up to,” he said with a gentle voice. </p><p>“Babe? I don’t recall that being my name,” A higher pitched voice responded. Sly’s felt his heart sink, sensing the familiarity in that voice. Even though he hasn’t heard that voice in months, he knew exactly who it belonged to. He quickly put the goggles down from his eyes and felt his face immediately turn into a gleam. </p><p>There was Bentley in person, smiling right back at him. His square shaped glasses, field helmet, and highly futuristic wheelchair was everything he remembered. One of his best friends was in person right in front of him just about as fitting as it can be. </p><p>“Bentley!” Sly exclaimed, quickly rushing forward to take his friend into a hug. He pat the back of his shell before letting go. “Long time no see, buddy!” </p><p>“You can say that again! I’m glad I was able to sneak up on you, it’s not often I’m able to do that. I appreciate it Chaz.”</p><p>“No problem, Bentley. Now bring it here, Sly can’t have all the fun,” Chaz said prior to taking Bentley into his own embrace. It was a heartwarming reunion at the most unexpecting of times. It’s been months since they’ve seen anyone from the gang and to see Bentley just in front of them like nothing was the best surprise ever.</p><p>“I don’t want to hoard all the attention now. You two have someone else you need to say hi to.” </p><p>Their night couldn’t have gotten any better. The two  knew exactly who Bentley was talking about. The brawn of each mission. The one who would charge head first into any fight and not bother asking questions later. The punch and tell of all gatherings. It was their favorite pink hippo; Murray. Bentley told the two he was waiting back at the old team hideout which Chaz hadn’t seen since he departed after the events of Clock-la. The two knew they couldn’t keep the big guy waiting and they were prepared to greet their old friend. </p><p>“Before we go, I have a bit of a gift for you two,” Bentley said before reaching to the back of his wheelchair. His hand came from around, holding onto their family heirlooms. He tossed over the staff and Cooper cane to their respective owner, appreciating their shocked expressions after realizing what was in their hands. </p><p>Chaz was the first to begin fiddling with his. He pressed the button on the side of the silver colored metal pole that extended it out several feet, revealing his ancestors writings alongside it with several other designs important to his family. Sly on the other hand took a calmer approach by simply gazing at his staff with a dumbfounded smile. </p><p>“Thank you, Bentley,” they both said. </p><p>“No worries, partners. Now what do you say we go back to the ol’ hideout?” Bentley asked, soon getting a nod of approval from the two. Bentley could tell the two were extremely delighted to see him back, especially since they couldn’t keep a smile off their face as they practiced their tricks all the way to the hideout. </p><p>It’s been so long since they could really stretch and show off their acrobatic skills so they were going to make the best of it. Using his cane, Sly made his way from the rooftops, using the clothing lines to zip down and propel himself forward. On the other hand, Chaz had his separate stunts he perfected by using his own staff to propel himself off buildings to the other side. In time, they reached the old hideout which definitely showed its years behind it. Windows were boarded up, wood chipped from around the house, and the plant life traveled up its exterior. </p><p>“Home sweet home,” Chaz said. He was the first to go inside the hideout only to perceive the mass amount of dust surrounding the faintly lit room. He cringed from the mess in the room. The paint was chipped, the rugs were extremely dirty, and a wide variety of snack bags and empty drink cups littered the floor. The smell of drywall littered the air, giving a rather bitter taste in his mouth. His inner clean freak told him to drop everything and clean up the place, but that was a task for a later date. </p><p>“This place is... DISGUSTING!” Chaz exclaimed as he scanned the room. </p><p>“Sorry… I haven’t gotten around to cleaning it yet. I know how much you hate a mess.” </p><p>Chaz jumped from the voice that responded back. He spun around, only to have the shock transform into an overwhelming sense of joy. </p><p>“Murray!” Chaz screamed out after running to him and taking the hippo into a hug. </p><p>“Heyya, Chaz. Long time no see.” Murray responded as he returned the embrace to the fox. </p><p>“Hey big guy, how are ya?” Sly spoke out as he made the way to the two hugging. </p><p>“Sly!” Murray yelled back at him before walking over to him with an open hand. Sly copied his action and greeted each other with a high five, though it was on the little aggressive side. The slap echoed throughout the room and Sly hissed from the pain. “Oof, sorry pal,” he continued. </p><p>And just like that, the gang was all back together. Though it was only a few months apart, it felt like eternity. Everyone was jovial and that same energy radiated in the room. They soon got to sharing stories about their adventures in the past months, giving every detail on Sly and Chaz’s horrid Interpol job, Murray’s career in racing, and Bentley’s vacation with Penelope. </p><p>Murray slapped his hand against the couch, making the floor under quake. “That’s where you guys went?! We all thought you were going to come back with rings around your fingers!” </p><p>Chaz spit out his drink while slightly choking on his own saliva after. “What?! You really thought we would’ve gotten married without you guys? Anyways, that’s out of the equation for a while guys.” </p><p>Sly’s ears perked up after hearing Chaz. It was a bit disheartening to hear Chaz say that. While marriage wasn’t brought up in any serious conversations, it doesn’t mean he hasn’t thought of it. He decided to keep quiet to not spoil the mood but deep down he knew that was going to poke at him for a while. </p><p>“Haha, yeah,” Sly faked a laugh to fit in with the others. He wanted to change the conversation a bit so he decided he was going to pick Bentley’s brain a bit. “Hey, Bentley, you’ve been rather quiet. What’s been up with you?” </p><p>But his attempt to not change the mood seemed to fail. Bentley’s smile shifted into a depressing frown. Everyone in the room grew distressed after seeing Bentley suddenly quiet down. </p><p>“Bentley? What’s wrong?” Chaz asked, wondering as to why his friend was so distressed all of the sudden. </p><p>“Well,” Bentley choked up a bit. He fixed the collar to his shirt and exhaled deeply. “I didn’t exactly find you guys for the reason you may have expected. Now that I think of it, it may be better if I just show you…” </p><h2>End of The Chapter</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 5</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sly felt tense as he closely watched Bentley reach into his bag, searching around for whatever he was looking for. He knew Bentley long enough that if he said there was a problem, it was serious. Bentley finally found what he was searching for in his bag and Sly and the others quietly sat while he turned around to show them. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Is that?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the Thievius Raccoonus just like he remembered it to be. The book with a worn down leather cover, aged-stained papers, and his family logo right on top of the words ‘Thievius Raccoonus’ was in Bentley’s hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why did he bring that out?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sly pondered in his mind. The book looked to be fine. No noticeable change in its appearance jumped out at Sly so why did Bentley have it with him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley remained completely silent as he slowly opened up the book. What was inside the book, or a lack of, completely took everyone off guard. Right before their eyes, the words containing the secrets, techniques, and writings of the Cooper’s from centuries ago were vanishing in the blink of an eye. The words lifted up off the page and simply turned into dust that scattered off before the book. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly shot up from his seat and ran forward, snatching the book from Bentley and swiftly flipping the pages. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?! What the?!” he questioned. He sensed the presence of the other two in the room standing behind him, soon sharing in the same feeling of astonishment at the mystery unfolding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what’s happening?! Sly, the words- they’re disappearing!” Chaz said in a panicked voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Murray was at a loss of words and tried his best to catch whatever lifted off the page, but to no avail. There was no stopping what was happening and Sly was utterly confused. He handed the book back to Bentley and gave a stern face. Whatever was doing this had to be stopped. There’s no telling what could happen if they wait around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see. Bentley, what’s the plan?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you asked. I looked into every possibility as to what could be causing the strange disappearance of the Cooper history. While it took some digging around, sources eventually lead me to the conclusion that someone is literally erasing your history by altering events in the past.” Bentley paused for a moment to move himself across the room to a table with a sheet on top of it. Something was under said sheet and left an imprint of its design through it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley placed one hand on the cloth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luckily for us, I have a plan. What better way to solve a problem with time rather than…” he lifted the cloth up and over the table, revealing what seemed to be a giant clock. “A time machine.” </span>
</p><p>“A time machine?” Chaz asked.</p><p>
  <span>“Yup, I figured out time travel! And to make our life a bit easier, it’s modified to fit right on the van, making it the perfect machine for the job.” The others cheered at Bentley, praising him for his spectacular invention. “But, there’s a catch. In order to time travel, we’ll need an item from that era so the machine can recognize that point in history and time travel to it. From the look of the book, the first pages to have started disappearing was during Rioichi Cooper’s era.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the liveliness of the cheerful attitude back to the dead silence, the team was stumped. They didn’t just have an object from that time period around anywhere and it wouldn’t exactly be easy to just get one. Sly thought to himself, trying to figure out anything they could use to get the machine to work. His gaze eventually wandered off to Chaz sitting besides him with his eyes closed, deep in thought. His face triggered something in his brain and as if two wires came together in his mind, the link showing him and Chaz’s heist to steal the Japanese helmet from the museum popped up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The museum!” Sly yelled out, catching the attention of everyone in the room. “Chaz, the museum has to have something from that era! When we researched it we found out that it had some dagger that was from the same era that Rioichi Cooper was in!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz shot up from the couch and hopped slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right! If we can steal that, we can start fixing the book of yours! See what happens when you use that sexy brain of yours for good?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that solves that. You guys up for a little heist?” Bentley asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Murray grabbed a soda can from the table and smashed it against his forehead, flattening it in the process. “YEAAAAH! LET’S DO THIS! THE COOPER GANG IS BACK IN ACTION!” his loud voice echoed in the tiny room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz stretched out his arms and jogged in place, warming himself up for the fun night ahead. “Oh yeah, this is gonna be great!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s keep that energy pumping, boys. We have a dagger to steal,” Sly added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that, the team was back together, all ready to hit the streets once more as the Cooper Gang. Using Murray’s van, they traveled the streets of Paris back to the museum. Some time has passed after the gang celebrated with some drive through food and jokes. Everyone quieted down and kept to their own. 

Inside the van, Sly noticed Chaz fiddling with his shirt while looking out of the back window, seeming as if he was zoned out. His face looked rather distressed and the streetlights accentuated that look. Sly began to think Chaz’s nerves were getting the best of him and so he decided to check in on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Psst,” Sly attempted to get his attention. It worked seeing as he lifted his head to show that gorgeous face of his. “What’s wrong?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh…? Oh,” Chaz froze for a moment to think. “I… I kinda feel weird… I don’t know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly scooted across his seat to get closer to him. “Are you not feeling good? You can sit it out if you’re not feeling up to it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not that. I’m just… I feel bad… like- Carmelita helped us out and we’re kinda betraying her… Maybe I’m thinking too deep into it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly didn’t know what to say at that moment. Chaz was technically right, if they were to go through with this mission, it would be like they’re turning their back on someone who saved their life. Now that he realized it, he felt a bit guilty but at the same time they had a good reason to do so. His family’s history was being erased right in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly put an arm over Chaz and brought his head close to his. “Hey, don’t get so down. We can always return the dagger to its rightful owner. I don’t doubt the stuff this guy has is stolen so would she even know? And we won’t even be in the same time as Carmelita so she’ll never find out. We’ll quit when we get back,” finished by kissing Chaz on his forehead in an attempt to further calm him down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re right…” Chaz smiled slightly. “You know, you’re really making up for this whole amnesia thing,” he said before he began rubbing his hand between Sly’s inner thighs. “Good deeds shouldn’t go unanswered, don’t you agree?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly felt his tail stiffen from the touch of Chaz, especially since Bentley and Murray were in the front seat able to turn around any moment. But he couldn’t help but play along. Their life used to be built on the thrill of almost being caught so how was this any different? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A gentleman such as myself would never deny the help of someone who insisted.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I know, which is why I feel like I have to make up to you for trying so hard.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly felt a hand get placed over his member before it began to rub him through his pants. His heart began to race a little and he tried to act as natural as he could, but his naughty fox was making it a difficult task. He attempted to hold in his moans yet he could only do for so long. Chaz was stroking him through his pants right in the back of the van, devilishly smiling while he did so. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re almost there guys. Get ready!” Bentley called out from the front of the van. 

At that moment, Sly felt the hand leave his crotch, allowing him to settle down a little. Chaz was always a little tease and he knew what he was doing, especially with faking his innocence after. And just as he expected, Chaz acted as if nothing happened while he went back to looking out the window but that same smirk remained on the side of his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly wasn’t going to let that little stunt slide so easily. He tilted his head so that his face was close to the side of Chaz’s head. “Just you wait until I get you all to myself,” he playfully threatened before taking his position back on the seat. Chaz giggled and continued to look out at the blurry visions of the buildings they passed by, still unphased to the whole thing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After some time, they reach their departure point for Sly and Chaz to go on ahead to the museum. The streets leading to the Museum were littered with flashlight guards so they simply couldn’t just walk up to the museum. They had to take an indirect approach and what better way to do so than the rooftops? They hid their van in a dark alley and everyone got out prepared to start the mission. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, you guys remember the plan, right?” Bentley asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! My mind is like a steel cap!” Murray responded with his loud voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, that’s ‘trap’, Big Guy. And everyone relax, we’ve been over the plan a million times. What could possibly go wrong?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Famous last words. Look, we’re only going to get one shot at this, so we can’t mess up,” Bentley added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I personally would love to start the mission now,” Chaz said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard the man. Stop worrying everyone, this is gonna be a piece of cake. We’ll see you both inside.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, Sly and Chaz left to ascend up a pipe leading up to the rooftops to start their mission. </span>
</p>
<h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 6</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Auuuugh, it’s good to be back.” Sly said while stretching his arms out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Him and Chaz both made it to the rooftop they were going to use to sneak by the security to get to the museum. It was the dead of night and not many were awake. The only light brightening up the rooftops were from the search helicopters and a few from the homes nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly took the lead and Chaz followed closely behind. As the two snuck their way across the rooftops, they dodged obstacles such as the passing helicopters, some guards dressed in hazard suits, and the nightbirds of Paris looking out their window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gosh it feels so good to see the others. I’m so happy they had a good couple of months to themselves... until Penelope disappeared. What do you think happened to her?” Chaz questioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no clue. Bentley said there was no sign of a struggle and apparently she took some of her important documents with her. You don’t think she just up and left him?” Sly responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sure hope not. Bentley doesn’t deserve that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Continuing their travel across the rooftops, the two were getting closer and closer to their objective. The museum was in sight behind a couple more buildings. The security only became stricter as they approached the museum and the two had to take extra caution. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While balancing on a flagpole, Chaz decided to continue the conversation by saying, “I can’t help but feel bad for Bentley. It’s hard to tell if he’s taking it well. He’s not one to convey his emotions.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could offer to look for her but she could be anywhere right about now. She flew planes for a living.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know… Maybe he’ll be alright.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finally arrived at the museum and wasted no time sneaking past security and getting up top on the roof. Once on, they used a key Chaz pickpocketed from a guard to unlock a window in the skylight. By this time, Bentley and Murray were done with their missions. Bentley had to hack into the terminals of the museum security and disable the alarms while Murray cleared the way for any troublesome guards. With that out of the way, all that was left was stealing the dagger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz secured the harness around Sly’s chest before planting a kiss on his cheek and sending him down into the museum. He carefully let go of the rope to slowly descend Sly. Once Sly was close enough to the glass panel, he tugged on the rope to signal to Chaz to stop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep look into the glass, he felt his blood rush from the nostalgic feeling when on the job. The dagger in its ancient beauty was free for the taking and all he had to do was snatch it from the case. </span>
</p><p>He slowly extended his hand out and opened the glass to grab onto the dagger. “Got it!” he said into his ear piece. “Pull me u-“ </p><p>
  <span>The door in the room burst open and a shadow stood in its frame. Sly was taken back at first before slowly recognizing the shape of the shadow. The hips… the hair… </span>
  <em>
    <span>the shock pistol. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh oh,” he said to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita was looking straight at the suspended raccoon with the face of pure anger. She aimed her shock pistol right at him and held her finger close to the trigger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly swallowed his fear and scratched the back of his head nervously. “Hey Carmelita, funny meeting you here!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slowly began to walk forward, her heels tapping on the tiled floor as she did so. “Sly Cooper, you no-good lying thief! I’m locking you up for good!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The irritation in her voice carried through as she neared Sly. Sly desperately tugged on the rope hoping Chaz would wheel him up. His prayers went answered and he was swiftly brought back up to the skylight with the help of a machine. Without hesitation, he unstrapped the harness and looked at Chaz with fear in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha- What happened? I heard a slam down there?” Chaz asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, uh…” Sly paused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“COOOOOOOOPEEEEER!” Carmelita screamed out from under them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz’s eyes widened after realizing who that voice belonged to. “You didn’t.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey...hehe... at least we don’t have to go back to work on Monday…” Sly nervously replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shock pistol rounds flew past the open window of and off into the distance. Carmelita was not at all happy with what she just witnessed and there was no talking their way out of this one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz slapped his hand against his face and grunted. “Please just get us out of here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m on it,” held his hand to his ear and called in the others. “Good evening, this is Sly Cooper. I’d like to request a ride.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A static noise picked up in their ear. “Cute, Sly. Now quit messing around and get down here! We’re in the van and ready to roll!” Bentley said back to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By this time the alarm has been triggered and the guards nearby have been notified. Two green helicopters flew over to them and had their searchlights right on them, blinding the two in the process. They made haste and ran forward and jumped off the building they were on, landing on a tarp and rolling off onto the Cooper van’s roof below. Murray stomped his foot on the gas and drove them out from the alleyway. Sly and Chaz were in for a bumpy ride while on the roof of the van as Murray drove through countless gates, garbage cans, and empty boxes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He eventually made it onto the road where the team was quickly surrounded. They had nowhere to run as other security vans and helicopters blocked their path out of there. From the looks of it, all hope was lost. Chaz and Sly climbed into the van from the open window and looked behind the seat to Bentley. Chaz had no choice but to sit on Sly’s lap seeing as the van only had two front seats. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bentley, we seem to be in a bit of a pickle.” Chaz said in a panicked voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax Chaz, just put the dagger into the receptacle.” Bentley said back. Chaz did as told and put the dagger into the machine, immediately causing it to react with countless robotic noises and sound queues. “Perfect! Isotopic decay calibrated… adjusting fusion synthesis… Bingo! Anytime you want to punch it Murray!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The van was filled with countless technical noises all while the engine was being revved by Murray. It shook rapidly as Murray readied himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got it, chum!” Murray yelled out before pressing his foot against the gas pedal, sending the van soaring forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not slow down Murray!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never do!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tired screeched against the concrete road as the van was accelerating forward. 60 mph, 80 mph, 100 mph, the gauge rose and rose as Murray was seemingly driving them straight towards the roadblock ahead. The van soon began to transform into some unknown machine. The sides of the van lifted up to form a set of wings while the back opened up to reveal a rocket propeller. At this time the van was full speed heading straight for the security vehicles  blocking the road ahead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone began to scream as the van started to lift off the ground and soar. The sound of a clock ticking was all that could be heard before the gang seemingly vanished into mid air. Everyone began to settle down as they all opened their eyes to find an explanation as to why it felt as if they were floating. To all their surprise, their senses were right. They were indeed floating inside some sort of blue light. </span>
</p><p>“We did it boys. Welcome to time travel.” Bentley said to the others. </p><p>
  <span>“Woo! Hey Bentley, do you think we can time travel to when chili dogs were first made?!” Murray enthusiastically asked.<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley began to lecture about the dangers of messing with time while Chaz and Sly were too focused on the phenomenon happening outside the window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly was at a loss of words. Were they currently flying through a strange vortex to some location in history? Did the time travel machine actually work? He shook his head, knowing the exact answers to that. Bentley was a pure genius and he has yet to find a reason to doubt him. As he began to relax in his chair with Chaz still on him, he felt a sort of tightness in his pants. He looked down to see the reason why and of course it was due to Chaz being right on top of his member. The motion of the van floating through the vortex made it so that he was grinding on it without knowing so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… Chaz…” Sly whispered to Chaz, breaking him out of his trance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> Chaz turned his head to ask, “Huh? What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re kinda, uh… rubbing it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz was confused as to what the raccoon meant, though it didn’t take long for him to catch on. He soon felt the girth protruding under him. His bottom was on it perfectly and must’ve been grinding against it the whole time the travel thing was happening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you guys hear what I just said?” Bentley asked from the back of the van, making the two jump slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah! Time travel is not to be messed with in the slightest! Be responsible!” Chaz tried to tell him in the most convincing way possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well good, given time… or the lack of it at the moment, we should be arriving at our destination soon. Sit tight for a few more minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can do Bentley!” Sly replied before trying to shift his member away from Chaz. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just let me get up!” Chaz grunted under his breath. The two bickered while trying to find a comfortable position for the both of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, what if Murray looks over? Just stay until we get there!” Sly murmured. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to sit on it anymore you perv! Let me get up and just cross your legs or something-“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Chaz, you doin’ alright?” Murray asked as he steered the van through the portal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz speedily settled down in between Sly’s legs and looked at Murray with an innocent gaze, attempting to seem innocent as he said, “Of course, b-big… big guy! Why would you ask?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re squirming all over the place like you got ants in your pants.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, haha. I guess these pants are a little too tight on me. Doesn’t help that I don’t have the most </span>
  <em>
    <span>comfortable</span>
  </em>
  <span> seat either.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m sorry about that. There’s another pair of your pants in the back if you want.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine Murray. I’ll change when we get there,” he said before he faked a smile towards Murray. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The van began to shake hysterically and the sound of a ticking clock returned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s happening!” Bentley announced before a bright purple light flashed outside the windshield. In the blink of an eye the van was in between what seemed to be a bamboo jungle. Everyone awed as they gazed out the window. Bamboo as far as the eye can see surrounded the van and the only thing that stood out was a faint light ahead. Murray and Bentley were the first to get out of the van to inspect the new area while inside the van, Chaz and Sly awkwardly sat there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it gone yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, you tell me?” Sly jokingly responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so weird.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Says the one who gave me a lap dance for the past 10 minutes. Just in case you were wondering, I enjoyed every second of it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz felt his face warming up before he yelled out, “S-shut up! I didn’t have anywhere else to sit!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be shy with me…” Sly rubbed Chaz’s arms and brought his head close to Chaz’s ears. “Do you want me to save your seat for later?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warmth from words hit the lobe of his ear, making Chaz shutter. “Mmm…” he hesitated to speak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take that as a yes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz opened the door and hopped off from Sly’s lap and out of the van. It’s not often that Sly can make Chaz act so strangely from their flirting game they constantly played with each other. Chaz usually wins the little tease battle but when Sly gets an advantage, he feels good about it. He smirked while watching Chaz walk away with his tail between his legs, feeling rather proud over his little flirtatious victory. </span>
</p>
<h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! o/</p><p>I just wanted to say sorry for not giving you guys too many surprise uploads. Life just really has their boxing gloves on and is using me as a punching bag! But don’t worry, I’m doing fine! Since this story is destined to go on for a while, I can promise you guys that during the summer the uploads will be much more consistent. Also, from here on out, some of the chapters are going to be much longer. Lemme just survive this semester first. </p><p>Any who enjoy the chapter!</p><p>Bye! \o</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 7</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>Feudal Japan - 1603 A.D</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no doubt about it. We’re in Japan alright.” Bentley announced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The time travel machine seemed to have worked and successfully brought the gang back in time to Japan. This was the time period of Rioichi Cooper, the master Ninja and master Chef of this era. He was the first to invent sushi and became very popular because of it, even making it so that he was able to construct a restaurant to sell his famous dish. His restaurant not only brought him a fortune but acted as the perfect cover for the master thief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gang arrived at a village they first saw hidden between bamboo after landing in the forest. After further inspection, something seemed to be a bit off. The stories of the rather peaceful village were not showing to be true. The village was storming with guards dressed in samurai armor, all looking to be patrolling the area. The gang pressed on to find the restaurant but even that was out of the ordinary seeing as it seemed to be shut down and under heavy watch as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something was definitely out of place and the gang had to get to the bottom of it. Taking refuge in a base hidden inside of a sewer, Bentley quickly got to work on figuring out what was wrong. He eventually found out that Rioichi Cooper was arrested and put in jail for reportedly selling bad sushi to the shogun. Something wasn’t adding up in the reports and it was up to the Cooper Gang to find out what was going on around here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their first order of business; scout out the area. Sly and Chaz were sent to do so but specifically, Bentley wanted the prison entrance, the guards and their armor, and finally Rioichi’s restaurant. As Sly took the photos Bentley requested, Chaz took the time to gaze around the beautiful village. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bamboo forest stood tall behind the village, acting as a sort of wall for everything behind it. Around the village were the minkas in which the villagers lived in, along with several shops with their names on signs hanging on it. The area was filled with wildlife and the plants grew rampantly, showing no sign of stopping either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the distance was a waterfall that connects to the river flowing below the village. The air was cool and refreshing, almost as if with every breath he took rejuvenated him. Chaz was amazed at the wonderful sights the village had to offer and couldn’t hold in his smile as he scanned the area. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly noticed the fox gleaming as he looked out to the distance. That cute smile of his was enough to brighten his day. “Wow, you are so cute,” he said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz snapped out of his trance and looked over to Sly. “You’re such a flirt,” and turned his head away again in an attempt to hide his silly smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t help it. Whenever I look at you I just…” Sly froze, not wanting to continue what his mouth almost subconsciously said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz raised his eyebrow in curiosity. “What? Do I bring out the urge in you to… let’s say,” he walked forward to Sly before slowly trailing around him. “Have me on my knees? Bend me over? Make me moan out your name? Hear my quiet little squeaks I try to hide as you make me yours? Be your submissive little lover for the night, pleasing you until sunrise?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woo,” Sly took off his hat to mimic him fanning himself with it. “You have a way with words.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so easy to please. Now what do you say we finish the mission, handsome?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And get home so you can give me a back rub?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll think of it.” </span>
</p><p>And so they continued on with their recon mission. Using the high ground provided kindly provided by the rooftops, they went around the village taking pictures of the places Bentley requested. Their final stop was Geisha’s house, a lively home decorated with flashing lights and images of a woman. Their mission was supposedly done after the picture loaded into the binocucom, but a turn of events said otherwise. </p><p>
  <span>The doors to the extravagant mansion burst open and a tall figure slowly stepped out from the shadows. Cigar smoke puffed out from the mouth of the tiger who wielded duel swords, wore a black jumpsuit, and had the meanest of grins. It took the two off guard seeing as he looked a bit modern to be in this time period.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna put money on the bet that this guy isn’t from around here… or this time period to be exact,” Chaz whispered to Sly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, he definitely looks out of place. I’ll get a photo of his ugly mug so Bentley can see,” Sly took the photo of the man and rang in Bentley. The call picked up in their ear piece and Bentley’s voice soon played through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, I’m sure I recognize that guy! He’s wanted by Interpol! He’s a ruthless mercenary general responsible for overthrowing several small countries!” Bentley informed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly stopped for a moment to try and analyze the situation for himself though he couldn’t quite figure it out. “So, what kinda mess are we in Bentley?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. But one thing is certain- my hunch was correct. We aren’t the only ones with a time machine. No use in worrying about the field, head back so we can whip up a plan,” Bentley said before left the call. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz cleared his throat after catching a strong whiff of the cigar smoke. “So big hunky tiger has access to a time machine? Is making one just like common knowledge nowadays?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I doubt ‘big hunky tiger’ is smart enough to figure that out.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’re right, big hunky raccoon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that's something I can get used to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that the two had all the photos Bentley asked for, it was time to head back. It didn’t take long for Bentley to form a plan from the information provided. The priority of their mission is to get Rioichi out of the prison, but that wasn’t going to be an easy task. Firstly, they’ll need some sort of disguise to even think of getting past the front doors seeing as there’s no convenient way of breaking in. Their best bet was stealing a suit of armor for Sly so he can sneak into the prison and rescue Rioichi. Before any more missions were to be made, they had to make sure Sly’s ancestor was safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back on the field, Sly and Chaz begin their mission to scout out and “relieve” a few guards of their armor pieces. Bentley pinpointed the locations of spare armor sets being held onto by the local guards. What better way to warm up their thieving skills than with a bit of pick pocketing? They made haste to their first guard who had a spare helmet strapped to his belt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bingo. By the end of this, you’ll call me Samurai Sly,” Sly said as he looked at the guard through his binocucom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you get caught as ‘Samurai Sly’, I’m not helping you,” Chaz responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noted. I’m going in,” Sly stated before he jumped off the roof and carefully snuck behind the guard strolling through. With the use of his cane, he unhooked the helmet dangling from the side of the guard along with his wallet. Chaz rolled his eyes and sighed knowing he shouldn’t expect anything from Sly. Sly quietly ran off and made his way back to Chaz who was watching from the rooftop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly twirled the helmet on his finger, giving Chaz his usual cocky smirk before saying, “Piece of cake.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get so full of yourself. You still have two other pieces to find.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Using his binocucom, Chaz pinpointed the location of the chest piece for the set. The guard who had it was found sitting down on a rock, looking rather distressed. He seemed to be in pain from the look of his face along with rubbing his arm constantly. There was no way they were going to get the armor piece while he had his back to a wall. Sly and Chaz were stumped and tried to think of ways to get that chest piece. If they attacked the guard, reinforcements were sure to come. The boar looked to be too sore to move. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what, I’m getting tired of waiting. Leave this to me, Sly,” Chaz said before beginning to leave his gear on the roof overlooking the guard. The only thing he stood up with was his staff hidden away in his holster. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you going to do?” Sly questioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I do best,”  Chaz responded before he jumped from the roof and braced himself behind a wall. He put his hoodie over his head, his hands in his pocket, and put his head down to hide his face. He took a deep breath before walking from around the corner, allowing himself to be seen by the guard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“HALT!” The guard abruptly yelled out before attempting to stand up. “Agh, who- who goes there?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz faked a startled expression. “I- I’m sorry, I’m just trying to find my way home…” he said in a soft toned voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s past curfew! Ya shouldn’t be out!” The guard barked out at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know… I was just…I just wanted to see the waterfall. It’s such a lonely night…” he ended by faking a pout. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, whatever. I don’t feel like arguing. Get home before you get in trouble,” the guard finished and went back to rubbing his arm all while letting out pain filled grunts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank you! Wait- what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s none of ya business! Get home!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz slowly stepped forward while he took off his hoodie, revealing his white fur that shined in the moonlight. The guard looked up, seeming astonished from his sudden appearance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I see? Maybe I can help?” Chaz asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need ya help, understand? I’m just sore, nothing I can’t walk off.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, I hear you... but before I go, do you mind if I try something?” Chaz questioned while still slowly advancing towards the guard. The guard had an eyeful of Chaz, staring like he was peering into his soul. Chaz grew a bit anxious from his stare and began to question if the guard saw through his trick. He still tried and eventually got close enough to the guard to place his hands onto his arm. Chaz was surprised at the size of the guard’s bicep. His hand was like a pea compared to the muscle the boar had on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was all or nothing at this point. “Take some deep breaths in,” Chaz instructed as he slowly began to rub the bicep. He used his fingers to massage the tense muscle until he felt it slowly ease into his touch. The guard whimpered before it turned into a sort of moan. He soon completely relaxed from Chaz’s touch, all while slouching on the boulder he sat on and showing a grin from ear to ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that’s the stuff,” the guard moaned out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly chuckled from the scene below. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t just a bit jealous at the treatment the random guard was receiving. Chaz had the hands of a god and it wasn’t often he used them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz stopped and placed his hands back in his pocket. “How does that feel?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Amazing! This arm never felt betta’! You’re a magician, and a gorgeous one at that!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz faked a giggle. “Oh stop, it’s the least I can do for you letting me off with a warning!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I sure do appreciate it… Hey, how about I show you to that waterfall? I don’t think someone like you should be out here on this ‘lonely’ night.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I couldn’t! You’re on the job!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heck if I care! This job is causing this pain anyways. I just have to bring this dumb piece of armor to the warehouse for some rookie to use,” the man told Chaz before flaunting the piece in his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A snatch and run wouldn’t work especially from the newly invigorated guard. He would be arrested in no time if he tried something like that. It was time to continue with the plan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I could put that armor piece in my house right around the corner? You shouldn’t be carrying anything especially with your arm this way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, ya know what? That’d be great, gorgeous. Here,” the guard dropped the heavy piece of armor into Chaz’s arms, making him stagger back from the unexpected weight of it. “I’ll wait here. Don’t take long now, toots. I ain’t got all night,” he said back on the rock and rubbed his arm a bit more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay! I’ll be right back!” Chaz growled before he turned around and lugged the piece around the corner. Using all his strength, he scaled the building with the chest piece strapped to his back. He was out of breath by the time he was back on the roof where Sly was watching from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly walked forward and helped Chaz up onto the roof. “Hey, you got i-“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, give me a moment,” he was out of breath and almost fainted from the climb. Once he was rested enough, his expression changed entirely to one of anger.  “That guy is a jerk! I might go back down there and break that arm of his.” </span>
</p><p>“Wait why, you got the-“ </p><p>
  <span>“He called me ‘toots!’ Like who does he think he is in that big empty head of his? I’m one step away from taking my staff and shoving it 6 feet up his- ah-heth…” Chaz was cut off from a pair of lips connected onto his. The warm feeling of the kiss immediately calmed him down and his hate crime urges subsided. Sly took the rampaging fox into an embrace to further quiet him down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly detached from the kiss and ran his gloved hand through Chaz’s hair. “I haven’t seen you that worked up in a while.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that guy had one too many cups of audacity.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you have me, cotton ball. No need to worry about that guy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d think it would be easy to be a decent guy. I’m lucky you set such a high standard for these idiots.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly smirked before saying, “I appreciate it. How about we finish this mission and sleep the night away, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz nodded his head with still a pout of anger present. Continuing on, they swiftly collected the legging piece of the armor set from a guard that was distracted by a butterfly in the distance. It was a rather easy ending to the dramatic filled search, but Chaz wasn’t complaining. Sly, with the help of Chaz, suited up in the armor. The gold, black, and silver colored set which came together with a shield was all too big for Sly and he couldn't properly walk in the set without rattling loudly in it. They had to do the best with what they had. All that was left before ending the night was breaking into the prison disguised as the commander. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a problem however. Chaz couldn’t just waltz in through the front door. There was no way any guard was going to let him through dressed as he was. He offered to head back to the base but Sly had another plan in mind and it involved a bit of rope. </span>
</p>
<h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 8</h1><p>“Ow, ouch! Wait, loosen it a bit!” Chaz cried out as Sly restrained his hands in a dirty rope. </p><p>The two were hiding behind a tree right outside of the prison. Inside was Sly's ancestor, Rioichi Cooper, the man convicted for selling bad sushi. Their job was to rescue Rioichi from the prison and get him back to the hideout and find out what the heck was going on around the village. Since Sly had the disguise necessary to get into the prison, all that was left was the finishing touch, a brand new ‘prisoner.’ </p><p>“I’m guessing you’re not into this whole rope and restraining thing, huh? Should I cross this off our ‘to try’ list?” Sly asked with a smirk. </p><p>“Very funny, Sly. Wait, what list are you-” </p><p>“Hey, that’s General Cooper to you, prisoner. I’ll have to teach you later how to respect your authority figures.” </p><p>“Mhm, right. Totally.” </p><p>Sly couldn’t help but laugh from the displeased look on Chaz’s face. After he finished tying the rope around Chaz’s arm, he began to lead him to the prison entrance while dressed in his armor disguise. The guard at the gate peered at the two approaching the gate, looking cautious to their presence. </p><p>“Follow my lead,” Sly whispered in Chaz’s ear, gaining a grumble back from the fox. He stepped up to the guard who flashed his flashlight in Sly’s face, slightly blinding him. Sly stood tall and had a stern grip on Chaz’s arm. “You there, open the door!” he yelled out to the guard.</p><p>The guard narrowed his eyes and bent down to make eye contact with Sly. “Hmph! A little short to be a Commander, aren’t you? Who are you?” </p><p>“Why I am… Major Muggshot.” </p><p>Chaz rolled his eyes from Sly’s ridiculous response. “Pfft, smooth.” </p><p>“Quiet down you!” Sly said before yanking Chaz’s arm. </p><p>Chaz held in every urge in his body to give Sly a concussion so he exhaled out and relaxed himself. “<em> Don’t murder your boyfriend. You can’t go to real jail. Don’t murder your boyfriend. You love him. Don’t murder your boyfriend. There’s a future with him. Don’t murder your boyfriend. Your friends wouldn’t like that,” </em>he said to himself in his head. </p><p>“Huh?! Muggshot? I never heard of you!” the guard continued. </p><p>Sly stomped his foot into the ground and stepped up to the guard, almost bumping chest with him in the process. “You dare question me?! Son, I’ve been a guard since you were just a squealing piglet! Wait until I tell the general about this! I heard he loves pork chops!” </p><p>The guard’s eyes widened and a sweat ran down his forehead. “Wait! I’m very sorry, sir! I didn’t recognize you! Please, continue on with your duties!” the guard then cowered back and stepped to the side for Sly and Chaz. “You better be nice to General Muggshot you lowly prisoner! No one likes a noisy criminal!” </p><p>“Did I ask for your opinion you ugly little- HEY!” Chaz screamed out as he was being yanked into the building by Sly. Once inside, Sly quickly slammed the doors shut and locked it from inside. Sly and Chaz then turned to face the room ahead which was filled with guards wandering around the place. The first room had multiple of them circled around a giant fire pit in the middle of the room. </p><p>“Oh come on! You have to keep these dirty ropes on me! It’s giving me rope burn!” Chaz cried out. </p><p>“I know, I know. Let’s just get this over with. I don’t want to be here for any longer than we have to.” </p><p>The couple began to walk through the building filled with Japanese decor. Multiple guards were scattered through the halls and rooms giving the impression that whoever was in here wasn’t meant to leave. Chaz gathered his fair share of compliment mixed insults as he was escorted by the disguised Sly. </p><p>“Woo, you caught a nice one, buddy!” </p><p>“Another one bites the dust! Haha!”</p><p>“Is that a boy or a girl?” </p><p>“He’s better lookin’ than my wife! I didn’t know boys were made that way!” </p><p>Countless comments were made until they eventually made it to the end of the cave. A giant crater filled with grayish water separated the pathway of the cave. To their surprise, something was suspended in the middle of the room. A closer inspection showed a brown furred figure lying down against the bars of his cage. </p><p>“Sly, is that Rioichi?” Chaz quietly said to Sly. </p><p>“Yeah, I think it is! Hold on, let me get his attention,” Sly cupped his hands around his mouth to funnel the words, “Hey! Rioichi Cooper! Are you okay?”</p><p>The figure looked over at the two with an unamused look. “You guard all seem to make very poor jokes,” he responded in a monotone voice.</p><p>Sly quickly stripped off his armor to reveal himself to Rioichi. “Come on! I’m not one of those bozos! I’m here to bust you out! The name’s Sly, and this is Chaz.” </p><p>“Hey,” Chaz attempted to wave with his still restrained hands. Sly noticed and quickly cut the rope with his cane, letting him free from his poorly tied restraints.</p><p>Rioichi stood up from within his cage and leaned his head closer to get a better look at the two. “Ah… I see. Fellow ninjas! Very good! You will need to make your way to the Dragon Bridge to reach this cage. Hurry up!” </p><p>Sly twirled his cane over his shoulder. “Okay, we’ll be there soon just… stay put,” Sly paused to face Chaz. “Wanna keep him company while I break him free, Mr. Prisoner?” </p><p>“Sure, why not. I’ll rest my legs for a bit.” </p><p>Sly nodded his head and ran off to go deeper into the prison. Chaz, now in a gigantic room alone with Rioichi, decided to get comfortable on some wooden chair he found nearby. He leaned back into the chair and put up his feet on the table.</p><p>“Sorry to disturb your rest, uh…?” Rioichi called out to him.</p><p>“Chaz.” </p><p>“Ah, yes. Do forgive me. If you don’t mind me asking, what business do you have here?” </p><p>“We heard that a fellow thief could use a hand.” </p><p>Rioichi was surprised by his comment. “Thieves? You two don’t look like any thieves I’ve ever seen?” </p><p>Chaz paused to think of what to say. Surely he wouldn’t buy the whole time travel thing and he didn’t want to scare him off. “Um, let’s just say we’re not from around here.”</p><p>“Who are ‘we’?” </p><p>“We’re the Cooper Gang.” </p><p>“Cooper..? That’s odd.” </p><p>“We’ll explain everything once we get you out from that- huh? What’s going on?” The floor underneath Chaz began to shake violently as if it was an earthquake. Across the room, the pathway leading to Rioichi’s cage began to crumble into the murky water below and a dozen Dragon Statues emerged in its place. Chaz looked closer and noticed a grey figure standing on the other side of the room looking rather startled. </p><p>Chaz held his hand to his ear to call in Sly. “What the heck did you do?!” </p><p>“Heh, I may have triggered the security around this place. Actually, I can’t really talk right now. Love you, bye!” Sly hung up on Chaz to continue on with the mission. The dragons statues that showed up began glowing a bright shade of red, looking to be as if it was powering up something. </p><p>After the brief startup the statue fired off a bright red fireball which headed straight for Sly. Sly grabbed the shield from his disguise and put it in front of his body to protect him. The fireball which would’ve turned Sly to ashes instead bounced off the shield and flew straight back to the statue, blowing it up in the process. </p><p>A rocky platform rose from the depths of the water and presented a path for Sly to use to get to Rioichi. He used his lucky discovery to destroy the rest of the armed statues until the path to Rioichi was built and he could get to him. Sly jumped from the platform onto the hanging cage.</p><p>Rioichi was astonished and stared at Sly for a couple moments before speaking. “Hmm… I do not know you but only a true Cooper could have reached this cage!”</p><p>“Yeah, I didn’t want to alarm you but my full name is Sly Cooper! I’m your relative… from the future…” Sly trailed off awkwardly near the end of his sentence. </p><p>“Do not worry, Ninjas are never alarmed. With all that has happened here lately, I believe you,” the cave began to creak loudly until a hinge broke off. The old cage was on its last stand and if they dwindled any longer, the two would surely land in the waters below. “Now perhaps you can open the cage so we can escape certain death.” </p><p>“Yeah! If you could hurry, I’m getting kinda anxious over here!” Chaz added from the distance. </p><p>“I’m working on it!” Sly said before swinging his cane down on the rusted look, shattering the metal into pieces and opening the door slightly. Rioichi climbed out of the cage and on top. He held out a hand to help Sly up but the cage couldn’t handle the weight of the two and finally broke off from its hook. The room was a complete mess and it was quaking out of control. </p><p>Chaz screamed out as Sly fell from the top of the cage and looked to be just a few moments from falling below. However, Rioichi grabbed onto the giant chain above and caught Sly’s cane at the same time before using it to hook onto Sly’s shirt, saving him in the process. </p><p>“Chaz! Come on, we have to get out of here!” Sly screamed out to him. </p><p>“So do you just expect me to just turn around and go the other way?! I can tell you didn’t think this through!” </p><p>Chaz felt his heart skip a beat as he watched Sly get pulled up onto the now giant, dangling chain. Though it was relieving to know Sly was in the clear, he now had to find his way out of the crumbling room. The chain the other two were on was the perfect was to escape from the death trap but to get onto it was another story. </p><p>He analyzed his surroundings and made a mental plan of his route in the room. The stones in the walls around the room protruded out just enough to use as stepping stones to get high enough to attempt a jump onto the chain. Chaz wasted no time and picked up speed to begin jumping off of each stone.</p><p>He used his velocity to carry his momentum into each jump. He hopped from stone to stone, slowly scaling up the wall in the process until he was close enough to the chain. Sly and Rioichi watched in amazement as Chaz effortlessly used his agility to escape the room. He was near enough to the chain to make the jump and right as he did, the stone under him gave out and shattered into pieces. He twirled his arms in the air as he leaped to the chain. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best. </p><p>Sly stuck out his arm ahead of time to catch the flailing Chaz. Once Chaz realized he was floating, he opened his eyes and looked up to see Sly holding his hand. </p><p>“Someone played a bit too much Tomb Robber,” Sly said with a simper. </p><p>“Truly spectacular, Chaz-san,” Rioichi added. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, whatever! Let’s get the heck out of here!” </p><p>The three made the daring escape from the prison with the help of Bentley and Murray. The trip back to the hideout was a tricky one at that now that the village was basically in full lockdown. It seemed their recent breakout may have upset the person in charge around there. </p><p>They had to go into hiding for the rest of the night to not risk any of them getting caught. They spent that time discussing just what was going on around the Village. Rioichi confirmed that the sudden surge of samurai guards was in fact from the recent self-elected general, El Jefe. The tiger seen wandering around the village had quite the reputation. </p><p>He’s taken over countless small countries around the globe for the highest bidder. One day as the authorities finally closed in on his location, he seemed to have vanished without a trace and now he’s hundreds of years into the past committing similar crimes. </p><p>“This guy sounds awful,” Murray said. </p><p>“Indeed, Murray. This guy is extremely dangerous so we should be on the lookout at all times. We can’t risk messing up around him,” Bentley added. <br/><br/>Chaz rolled his eyes before saying, “We dealt with bigger and badder before. We got this. Are you feeling up to the task, Rioichi?” </p><p>“A ninja overcomes whatever obstacle presents itself. This will be of no issue,” he responded. </p><p>With the newly established threat who has an iron grasp around the small village, it was up to the Cooper Gang to stop him and return the peace.  </p><h2>End of The Chapter</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It’s ✨Chazla✨</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><h1>
  <span>Chapter 9</span>
</h1><p>A newly celebrated night in the village hidden in the bamboo forest. Ever since the last heist, security had picked up around the place. More guards were scattered through the village and everything was locked down for the time being, but that wasn’t going to stop the Cooper Gang. The missions for the day were assigned to everyone and they all had an important role to play. The gang’s goal as of now is to reclaim Rioichi’s sushi shop and his reputation. </p><p>Chaz hasn’t spoken much to Sly or Rioichi ever since they got back to the base. He let the two talk about whatever they may have needed to discuss. After he helped Bentley and Murray plan the missions for the day, all that was left was packing his necessities for the night. Everything was inside the room Sly and he were staying in for their time there. </p><p>Chaz knocked lightly on the door before opening it up. “Sorry to bother. I just needed to grab my staff,” he said.  </p><p>Sly perked up from the sight of Chaz. “You’re no bother, come right in! Rioichi and I were just talking about some of the Cooper history.” </p><p>Chaz’s gaze wandered over to Riochi, sitting with his legs crossed on the floor with his blue hoodie over his head. </p><p>“Hello again, Chaz-san. It is nice to see you well rested and healthy, especially after that spectacular escape you did the night before,” Rioichi said. </p><p>Chaz giggled nervously, feeling a bit embarrassed from the compliment. “Please, I was running for my life more than I was just trying to make it look good. I didn’t really think I had it in me, especially after not doing anything like that for quite some time.” </p><p>“Do not underestimate yourself, Chaz-san. I forgot to ask but… are you a Cooper as well?” Rioichi questioned.</p><p>“No, no, my last name is Mardent. I’m just super experienced with the whole mobile life.” </p><p>“Interesting. I have never seen someone as versatile before. You surely must come from an impeccable bloodline of fellow ninjas.” </p><p>“Ha! I wish! My family has been doing something a bit similar but I’m the only one to do the whole thieving thing,” he paused for a moment, remembering the face of his mom and dad. The nostalgic feeling of home being at home drifted in. “<em>I wonder how they’re doing…” </em></p><p>“I see. You show great skill in your performance. It will be an honor to work with you,” Rioichi said as he bowed his head down to Chaz. </p><p>Chaz shook his head free of the troubling thoughts and returned the act before saying, “And you as well, Rioichi. Now, you two ready to hit the town- er, village?” </p><p>Sly groaned up and dramatically stood up from his chair before saying, “Agh, not really. I’m stuck with guard duty. Say, Chaz, would you maybe wanna swap jo-“</p><p>“Nope! Don’t even ask! I was prisoner duty and was left to run on the side of the wall like a bug. Stop complaining.” </p><p>“A ninja follows every task, Sly. It is how they assure victory over their opponent,” Rioichi added. </p><p>“Alright, alright, I’ll meet you two outside,” Sly said as he got up and rushed past them, looking to be rather annoyed while doing so. </p><p>Chaz rolled his eyes and smiled towards Riochi. He then grabbed his staff off the table and together they joined Sly outside. Once ready, they began their trip to Rioichi’s Sushi Shop across the village. Outside of the Sushi Shop, two guards patrolled the door, guarding the place so that no one may enter. Luckily for them, Sly was going to relieve them of their duties</p><p>He slipped into his disguise and walked up to the two guards. “Dismissed!” Sly ordered. The guards saluted Sly before both walking away, leaving him to “guard” the door. Once the sentinels were away, Sly motioned for the two to come over. </p><p>Chaz walked up to Sly and lifted the large helmet to make eye contact with him. “Are you going to be okay out here?” </p><p>“Maybe if you stand watch with me,” Sly responded. </p><p>“You’ll be okay out here then. We’ll call you in when it’s all clear. Now give me a hand.” </p><p>With the help of Sly, Chaz scaled the building and opened the window to it. Using his staff, he extended out his reach for Riochi to climb up and over. The two jump down into the home and immediately take notice of the security installed around the shop. Cameras, spotlights, and guards were littered through the store. It wasn’t going to be an easy task to maneuver around the place. </p><p>Upon entering, Rioichi turned around to lift up his welcome mat near the door. Chaz starred as he searched under the rug but to his surprise, Rioichi was simply taking his cane from under the doormat. Memories from the vault played back as he watched Rioichi split the wooden cane into two. It was just like he remembered hanging from his memorial in the vault. </p><p>Riochi noticed Chaz watching him intently, almost as if he was zoned out from reality. “Are you okay, Chaz-san?” </p><p>Chaz shook his head and said, “Yeah! Sorry, I was just thinking for a moment.” </p><p>“Do not lose focus, Chaz-san. We must finish the mission assigned to us.” </p><p>“You’re right. Please, take the lead.” </p><p>Chaz studied the area around him. The first room of the Sushi Shop seemed to be the guest room, possibly where Rioichi would take his orders. The guards certainly did a number to the place. The cushions were thrown around everywhere on the floor, menus were torn, and several pictures on the walls were slanted and broken. It was disheartening to see what has happened to the shop.</p><p>There was no clear direction of how the two would navigate but they had to avoid the security cameras scanning the floor. To get to the other room, they had to find a way to get over the Shoji. He followed Rioichi onto higher ground where they then perched themselves onto the lanterns he had illuminating the area. Chaz was confused as to where they were really going, seeing as the only possible way to continue was to cross a wide gap to another set of lanterns closer to the Shoji.</p><p>“Chaz-san, how experienced are you on clearing your mind and focusing on something?” Rioichi abruptly asked.</p><p>“I meditate constantly to calm myself from the chatterbox outside. Why do you ask?</p><p>“I wish to teach you my Leaping Dragon technique which is vital to traversing my Sushi Shop from above. Do you accept?” </p><p>Chaz froze for a moment, astounded to the offer. “<em>Why would he be offering to teach me this? Surely Sly would be better fit for the lesson.</em> I guess it <em>would be disrespectful of me to say no... and he said it’s needed to get around the place…</em>” he remained silent for a moment before daring to ask, “Are you sure? I’m not exactly… well… a Cooper? I can go get Sly if you want.” </p><p>“Nonsense. You show great form and are equally as nimble. It would be an honor to teach you my technique.” </p><p>“A-okay! S-sure then! What do I do?” he awkwardly questioned. </p><p>“Do you see that lantern across from us?” Rioichi asked while pointing ahead. “Focus your thoughts onto the object. Picture yourself resting, looking out to whatever may calm you. Now your goal in mind is to get to that lantern. Envision it and let go. Release your tension. Become one with air, like so.” Rioichi took a moment to gather his breath and close his eyes.</p><p>Chaz watched intently as he readied himself before launching himself off the lantern, crossing the wide gap in one fellow swoop, landing right on the lantern without any mistake. </p><p>Being amazed would put shame into the amazing stunt just demonstrated. Chaz has never seen someone jump so far before. His body looked like a feather which picked up and flew from the gentle breeze of the wind. “<em>Can I even do that?”</em> he asked himself. </p><p>“Proceed, Chaz-san. I put great trust in you to succeed,” Rioichi quietly said over to him. </p><p>Now was Chaz’s turn. He closed his eyes and took shallow breaths while perched on the lantern. He let his body become numb, releasing any tension built up. He imagined his destination in front of him. A clear image of the lantern appeared over a vast space of nothingness. His body began to warm up as he focused his attention onto the lantern. All that was left was to take the jump. </p><p><em>“3...2...1…” </em>Then he leaped off the lantern. His momentum created a breeze which flew with his person. As if in slow motion, he opened his eyes and looked below him to the floor which was a fair drop below him. He lifted his head up and saw Rioichi gazing at him, his figure slowly looking to be getting closer. Time slowed down to the point that Chaz could hear the noise of the clock somewhere in the room.</p><p>
  <em>Tick! Click! Tick! Click!</em>
</p><p><br/>Before he knew it, he felt another object below his feet. Chaz was caught off guard and stumbled on the lantern ever so slightly. Luckily Riochi reached out to help him find his balance on it.</p><p>Chaz gleamed after he looked back to the lantern he was just on. The same gap from before seemed like just a regular jump to him. “I- I did it! I really did it!” </p><p>“Congratulations. You performed excellently. All that is left to practice is your balance.” </p><p>“Thank you, Rioichi! That felt amazing!” </p><p>“I am glad to hear. Now let’s proceed. There are more opportunities ahead.” </p><p>With the new technique under Chaz’s belt, he effortlessly made his way through the Sushi Shop and past any form of security. Pickpocketing the already fatigued guards proved to be no issue and Rioichi demonstrated his vault lock devices he had throughout his shop. One by one, they collected the three knives they then used to unlock each and every door until they reached the back of the Sushi Shop. </p><p>In the final room looked to be an old furnace which let out black smoke every so often. Rioichi pulled a black lever nearby the machine which made it launch into a judder. From the looks of it, it seemed to act as the source of power around the place. Any guard remaining in the shop stormed out and left the place to its own. His shop was finally his again and the smile Chaz saw on Rioichi’s face was one he would never forget. </p><p>“I am forever grateful, Chaz-san. You and your friends are admirable allies.” </p><p>“You’re welcome Rioichi. Now all that’s left is getting you back your customers. I’ll help you clean up around here.” </p><p>Sly found his way over to the two conversing. He tapped on the door outside the room to alert the others to his presence. “Took you two long enough.” </p><p>“Would you look who it is? How was guard duty, handsome?” Chaz questioned. </p><p>“Very boring. Thanks for asking,” Sly replied before walking up to Chaz and planting a kiss on his forehead. </p><p>Rioichi raised his eyebrow and took a closer look at the two. He was quite shocked to see them rather comfortable with each other. “Pardon me. It seems you two have a more… formal relationship with each other?” </p><p>Chaz slapped away Sly’s wandering hand  and answered Rioichi with, “He hasn’t told you?! Anyways, yeah, this walnut and I are in a relationship. Don’t ask if I regret it,” Chaz giggled after being gently elbowed by Sly from his comment. </p><p>Riochi’s gleam slowly shifted into a frown. “It seems I am still one oblivious to love.” </p><p>“Aww, Rioichi, don’t feel bad. Just in case you haven’t noticed, there’s a reason why Sly is here now. The special person will come along and I can promise you that.” </p><p>Rioichi perked up. “Your kind words are most welcome, Chaz-san. I do hope the ‘special’ person is as kind as you are to me.” </p><p>“You deserve it, Riochi. As for this one, I question that sometimes.”</p><p>Just as he finished, he was lifted off his feet and into a bridal position by Sly. He kicked his legs out in an attempt to free himself. </p><p>“Say you love me!” Sly demanded. </p><p>“Rioichi, help!” Chaz cried out as he started to get taken away by Sly. </p><p>Riochi watched as the two playfully fought each other. The laughs they shared as Sly carried away Chaz put a smile on Riochi’s face. “Sorry, but this is a battle best fought alone, Chaz-san.” </p><p>The missions to return Rioichi to his former glory continued on. While Sly, Chaz, and Rioichi were off  cleaning the Sushi Shop, Bentley and Murray gathered any materials Rioichi asked for. They returned from the mission with a net full of fish for Rioichi to use to start making meals for the shop again and bring back his customers. </p><p>Their next mission was to focus on dwindling some of the troops scattered throughout the village. According to some intel Bentley found, Madam Geisha, the local performer, has gone on vacation. The guards often visited her during their shifts to watch her dance but since she’s been gone, they had no place to go.</p><p>They had to distract the guards, so what better way to do so than with one of Madam Geisha’s performances? Murray offered to take the job due to him best fitting her <em>qualities</em> and while he was off distracting the guards, the rest of the gang would complete the remaining missions. With the help of Rioichi, Sly, and Chaz, they stole an outfit belonging to Madame Geisha to give to Murray so he could begin the show. </p><p>“You sure this will work guys?” Murray asked. </p><p>“As long as you can shake some hips and move your body to the beat, you’ll get them,” Chaz encouraged. “Let’s just hope this makeup won’t throw them off… I have no clue what I’m doing.”</p><p>“I just… I don’t know if I can do it,” Murray responded.</p><p>Rioichi was looking out the window from Madam Geisha’s room and noticed the guards piling in to see the sunrise show. “I’m sorry to alarm you all but the guards are beginning to come in. You must hurry.” </p><p>“You got this, big guy! No need to worry,” Sly said to Murray. </p><p>Murray was practically shaking with fear at this point. If his fear of messing up wouldn’t throw him off, his stage fright will. “I can’t do it! Chaz, come with me! Maybe you can take some of the eyes off me! You got pretty feminine features! They’ll love you!”</p><p>“WHAT?! I don’t have… T-That wasn’t in the plan!” Chaz yelled out. </p><p>“Please, Chaz!” Murray begged, holding his hands together in front of Chaz with a worried face. </p><p>Chaz turned around to the other two looking for some help into convincing Murray. The two Cooper’s awkwardly stared at him, not giving the reaction he hoped for.</p><p>“I believe it is up to you to help your ally, Chaz-san. Your will is strong,” Rioichi told Chaz. </p><p>“Yeah Chaz, go out there and put on a show. Those chumps will lose it for the rather sexy surprise,” Sly added. </p><p>Chaz was put on the spot but oddly enough, he now wasn’t opposed to the idea. It was absolutely vital to the mission that the guards remained off the street, and it’s not like he didn’t like putting on a show. “Okay, I’ll do it! Ah…Murray, hand me that Komodo and wig and go out there! Sly, help me put this on.” </p><p>Murray did as told and went out to the stage overlooking the flood of guards all waiting in groups at tables. “Hey guys! Uh… I mean… Hehehe, welcome all!” Murray greeted everyone with the most feminine voice he could give. “The show will start soon, but I’m still waiting on a special guest joining me tonight!” </p><p>“YOU’RE SO BEAUTIFUL!” </p><p>“MADAM GEISHA! OVER HERE!” </p><p>“WOOOOO! LOOKIN’ GOOD!” </p><p>Countless compliments were thrown at Murray, making him smile a bit. It seemed the little disguise was working. Back in the room, Chaz finished putting on his makeshift outfit as well. </p><p>“Name someone who can look half as good as you do, baby,” Sly complimented Chaz. </p><p>Chaz spun around from looking at himself in the mirror. “Do you think it will work?” he asked before looking over at Rioichi for confirmation.</p><p>Rioichi eyed Chaz trying his best to fit in his clothing. Although beauty did not exactly go along with elegance, the modeling the purple Komodo with a rose blossom design did look good. </p><p>Rioichi had his mouth opened ever so slightly with a tiny buildup of drool near the corner. “I, uh, I-“ Rioichi stuttered. </p><p>“Uh, hello?” Chaz snapped his fingers to break out Rioichi from his trance.</p><p>“I- Yes! Of course, Chaz-san. Your disguise would fool even the most cunning of ninjas.”</p><p>“Perfect!” the crowd of guards cheering out from outside of the room only grew louder. It was time to get the show on the road. “Wish me luck, not that I’ll need it or anything,” Chaz said before leaving the room with only the two Cooper’s standing in. </p><p>“Fox got your tongue, Rioichi?” Sly asked.</p><p>“You are very fortunate, Sly-san.” </p><p>“I know.” </p><p>The room had bright pink wood for its interior with countless portraits of Madam Geisha hung on the walls. The lights inside the room casted a bright shade of pink while shades of purple scurry around the floor. It looked as if a mini nightclub was put right inside of a house acting as its disguise. </p><p>Chaz stepped out onto the stage and smiled at those who were ecstatic, using their energy to throw their money onto the stage for them to collect. Chaz, not wanting to get caught out by any of the guards, took out his paper fan and hid his face behind it. The playful tease only made the men grow more enthusiastic in the room. </p><p>“There’s the ma- lady of the night! Welcome Madam Cha...z...la! Madam Chazla!” Murray hesitated for a moment. </p><p>“WOOOOOO! BEAUTIFUL!”</p><p>“TWO PRETTY BEST FRIENDS DO EXIST!”</p><p>“How much do you wanna bet I can take one of them home tonight? Twenty? Put it here.” </p><p>“I WOULD DIE FOR YOU!” </p><p>Chaz bowed down and faked a giggled behind his paper fan. “It’s a pleasure to be here, everyone. I’ll take your orders while Madam Geisha here performs her beautiful dance!” </p><p>As if on queue, the music started to play. The colorful spotlights moved down to brighten up the stage Murray stood on. His confidence was at a peak and the beat got his hips swaying back and forth. It was time for the show. </p><p>Sly and Rioichi climbed up on the support beams to watch over the performance. Murray was up on the stage seductively dancing to this song while Chaz went around to pass out the drinks. Every guard from the town seemed to be in the room and all were enjoying their time there. After some time, Rioichi went ahead to complete some of the missions alongside Bentley. Sly stayed behind to keep an eye out for Chaz, most importantly to make sure no guard gets too touchy. </p><p>Chaz went around and collected countless tips from the guards all while receiving rather flirtatious comments. His ego was at an all time peak as he was constantly called beautiful, pretty, and gorgeous. Some guards simply handed money to him just for making eye contact with them. Stupid and desperate, Chaz had them all in his grasp. </p><p>As the music began to pick up, so did Murray’s performance. The Boar guards were hollering out to what they thought was Madam Geisha. Chaz retreated into the back of the room after his own share of attention died down. The show was almost coming to an end and there was no point of hovering around. </p><p>Chaz held his hand to his ear all while counting his tips with the other. “Hey, Sly, I’m heading out. I think Murray can distract the guards on his own for a little while longer.” </p><p>“Okay, I’ll meet you outside.” </p><p>Chaz ended the call and opened the door, not looking his way as he walked out. A couple of steps out of the door and he accidentally bumped into someone. He put the money back into his pocket and looked up. </p><p>“Pardon me-eeeeee! Hi- hello!” Chaz said in a frightened, feminine voice. Of all the possible people he could’ve ran into tonight, it was the scariest of all. The cigar smoking, country-conquering, tough tiger in a jumpsuit, El Jefe, was standing right in front of him. He felt the color in his skin drain down to his feet and his soul leave his body in the process. </p><p>El Jefe peered down at Chaz, looking straight into his eyes. He continued silently for countless moments, sending waves of fear down the frozen Chaz. His serious complexion started to drift off into some sort of smile. His toothy grin held on to his cigar in his mouth as he bent down to him. </p><p>“I apologize, madam. I should’ve been aware as to where I was walking.” </p><p>Chaz’s eyes widened after seeing El Jefe offer his hand out to Chaz. Chaz knew what that meant and offered his hand to El Jefe who then returned the action with a kiss on the top of his hand. </p><p>“Ohohoho, what a gentleman,” Chaz said nervously. </p><p>“The gods must have blessed me to have been able to walk into someone who’s eyes glisten in the moonlight. To be in the presence of someone so beautiful is such a delight.” </p><p><em>“Okay, he’s smooth. I’ll give him that,” </em>Chaz thought to himself. “Thank you for your kindness, sir. Madam Geisha is right inside for you,” Chaz said before trying to walk past the man. El Jefe stopped him as soon as he took a step and basically blocked his path. </p><p>“It is true that I was here for the performance, but how could I possibly ignore such divinity before me? A goddess like yourself must reserve all that attention. May I have your name?”</p><p>“It’s Chazla,” he awkwardly said while simultaneously thinking, “<em>Please for the love of all that his holy get him away.” </em></p><p>Sly finally found his way onto the rooftop where he planned to look over to find Chaz. It didn’t take him long to spot two people in the distance looking to be conversing. The closer look startled him after realizing Chaz and El Jefe were in the distance talking as if they knew each other. </p><p>Sly immediately put his hand to his ear. “Uh, Chaz, what’s going on?” </p><p>The voice that played in Chaz’s ear caught him off guard and he tried his best to ignore it while El</p><p>Jefe continued to flirt with him. He couldn’t respond to Sly now and he was in real trouble if he didn’t find a way out of the conversation. Who knows what would happen if El Jefe gets a bit too comfortable.</p><p>Sly decided to ring in Bentley to see if he could help at all. “Bentley, we need your help!” </p><p>“Wha’? What happened?” Bentley quickly responded. </p><p>“Chaz is being hit on by El Jefe and it’s not looking like he’s taking a hint! What do we do?” </p><p>“Wait! Really?! Sly, look to see if El Jefe has any blueprints on him!” Bentley requested. </p><p>Sly took out his binocucom to get a closer look of El Jefe who had his fox cornered. He scanned his person and eventually noticed a brown paper rolled up and stuck to his back next to his dual blades. </p><p>“Uh, I think so Bentley. Why do you ask?” </p><p>“Yes! This is perfect! Tell Chaz we need those blueprints to move on with the mission! I’m not really a flirting expert but try having Chaz mention a preference of kids. Apparently this guy hates commitment as mentioned from his dating profiles.” </p><p>“You’re the best Bentley,” Sly hung up on Bentley to call back Chaz. “Hey Chaz, listen closely. There’s a set of blueprints on his back that Bentley needs! Find a way to get them and then get out of there with something about kids! This guy has commitment issues!”</p><p>Chaz heard everything in his ears and became accustomed to the plan. He saw the paper strapped to El Jefe’s back and quickly brainstormed a plan to get the blueprints off his person. </p><p>“Hey, can I ask you a question?” Chaz slowly began to circle around El Jefe, seductively swaying his hips in the process. “Is it true that all tigers have as big of a heart as they do…? Well?” </p><p>El Jefe began to chortle as he eyed Chaz. Once in front of El Jefe, Chaz got close enough to start feeling up his stomach and around his chest. He brought his hands to his face to cup under his chin. He slowly brought his head down to match his height and once close enough, he placed his face close to the side of it. </p><p>“Never had my fun with a kitty before,” he seductively whispered into his ear, being rewarded  back with a growl from El Jefe. As soon as El Jefe’s arms were around his waist, Chaz went in for the steel, grabbing the blueprints in the process and slipping it into the sleeve of his Komodo. The wandering hands on the back of Chaz got a bit too comfortable and drifted down to his lower region. Now that the papers were his, it was time to get the heck out of there. </p><p>“How about we head back to your place and make a kid?” Chaz physically cringed after the words left his mouth, but it seemed to have worked. The wandering hands stopped in place right before getting to a cheek. </p><p>“Err…” El Jefe trailed off. </p><p>“What’s wrong? Are you not looking for a bride? Maybe a wife for your future children?”</p><p>The silence said a million words as El Jefe let go of Chaz and stood tall again. He flicked the build up of ashes on his cigar and cleared his throat. “Maybe… I’ll catch you another time. I’m just here to get a drink.” </p><p>Chaz pretended to be offended before stomping his foot into the ground. “Ugh, all you men are the same!” And stormed off away from El Jefe. Once far enough around the corner, he hid his devilish smile and pulled out the blueprint from his sleeve. </p><p>“I never thought I’d see the day where you get rain checked,” Sly said with a chuckle into his ear.</p><p>Chaz laughed back and said. “I know right! I guess I’m not pretty enough to have a kid with.” </p><p>“Now that’s far from the truth. If you’re willing to try, I may be able to help you out with that.” </p><p>The fun came to an end with yet another poor attempt at a joke from Sly. </p><p>“I don’t even know how to respond to that, Sly.” </p><p>“Then let’s have the bed do the talking.” </p><p>“No... just... no... I’m hanging up.” </p><p>
  <strong>End of The Chapter</strong>
</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 10</h1><p><br/>The job the night before proved successful in dwindling the guard’s forces which allowed everyone to complete their tasks on time. As if  things couldn’t have gotten luckier, Chaz was even able to steal some important blueprints right from El Jefe himself. Along with that, Rioichi was able to take care of the remaining scouts that snacked on the sushi Chaz served to them. The sushi itself was doused with a special plant that would turn an insomniac into a heavy sleeper. With the stars aligned for their cover of the night, it was time for the gang to finally take down El Jefe.</p><p>Their first order of business was getting into El Jefe’s residence; The Dragon Temple. The sentinels stationed to watch over the building were out for the count which gave easy access for Sly and Chaz to break into the place. As soon as the locks to the giant doors were broken into, the gang met up with the two to follow them into El Jefe’s lair.</p><p>All of them stood outside the door, mentally preparing for whatever may be ahead. Though resistance was guaranteed, they came too far to go back. They all gave one comforting  look to one another and slowly stepped in. The  way up to El Jefe’s home up top on the hill didn’t fit his outgoing and cocky attitude, seeing as everything was still and peaceful. It was so quiet that the noise of the leaves being pushed by the wind could be heard. </p><p>Along with that, the path leading up to it was thick with wildlife. Animals scampered across the walkway to the other side of the continuing robust forest. The cries of the owls in the trees, the rustling of the bushes, and the noise of the crickets hiding away repeated throughout their stroll. However, as the gang approached a cliff  ahead, the calming sound of nature was cut off by something unnatural sounding. The noise which slowly sounded more like machines firing up got closer and closer as the gang went deeper into the forest. </p><p>Their ambition told them to follow the noise, but the road didn’t allow for  that. A cliff with a fall through the heavens below soon appeared beyond the dense wildlife. The sound of the machines came closer and sounded as if it was under the puffy, white clouds. </p><p>Bentley peaked over the edge of the cliff and was bewildered. “What is that?” he asked. </p><p>The rest of the gang looked over and saw the top of the giant blimp slowly rise, piercing straight through the cloud as it did so. The machine was certainly not from the century and screamed out a modern design.</p><p>They knew that they could be dealing with anything at the moment and it would do them best to remember that. They followed the path the blimp flew above and continued on, determined to confront El Jefe at the base at the top of the mountains. Their path eventually broke off from the usual gravel, cobblestone and dirt and changed to a bridge connecting straight to a base. Before the gang could even process what was in store for them, the fun came to them. At the other end of the bridge, a tiger stood with a cigar in his mouth and a stern expression stapled on his face. </p><p>It was the main attraction himself. El Jefe stood with his arms crossed, looking displeased. “End of the line, Cooper!” his face turned into a twisted grin before he pointed out towards the group. “Get them you fools!” he ordered and a swarm of tiny mouse guards in hazard suits came to his demand. </p><p>“Okay, you all know what to do… time to kick some butt!” Bentley exclaimed.</p><p>Chaz took out his staff and yelled out, “Finally! It felt like forever since I last got into a fight!”</p><p>Murray, still in his Madam Geisha outfit, balled up his fist and slammed it into his other hand. “My favorite time of the day!” </p><p>Sly was ready to rush forward with the already advancing team, but a brown figure moving in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Rioichi Cooper climbed over the bridge and waved goodbye to Sly. Sly was confused at first but he knew better than to question Rioichi. He smirked and turned his head back to the crowd ahead. </p><p>“Let’s do this!” he yelled out. </p><p>Everyone followed Murray’s lead as he rushed head first into the front line. It was an all out brawl on the bridge. They all had a smile on their face as they beat down their opponent in front of them. Fighting together after all this time was the best feeling, and everyone felt excited to be doing it again. Murray cleared through waves of enemies and lined up finishers for Bentley all while Sly and Chaz teamed up against the others. </p><p>Sly caught a glimpse of Chaz taking down his opponent and sensed the happiness emitting from Chaz. Seeing him with a cocky flare with a cheek to cheek smile while he was completely in the moment made him smile as well. </p><p>While in the action of swinging his cane, he looked over to Chaz. “Enjoying yourself, Cotton Ball?” </p><p>Chaz responded back with, “You have no clue! This is almost as fun as that time back in Australia in that lemonade bar.” </p><p>“I’m glad to hear it! Hey, on your left-“ </p><p>“COMING THROUGH GUYS!” Murray screamed out while he ran between the two with an armful of guards, knocking them unconscious by slamming them against the gate door. With those last set of guards taken care of, the bridge was clear. </p><p>Chaz wiped his hands clean of the dirt gathered from the confrontation. “Now that that’s taken care, let’s find a way to open that-“  he stopped after realizing the gate was in the process of being lifted up. </p><p>On the other side of the gate stood Rioichi. “A ninja is always one step ahead, Chaz-san.”</p><p>“Heh, I couldn’t expect any less from you Rioichi. Now what do you say we go after that tiger?” </p><p>Everyone cheered out and ran through the exit gate to continue the chase after El Jefe. Rioichi took the lead and was the first to walk through the other side of the gate. </p><p>The sudden dramatic cut off as they continued on inside the temple felt odd. Chaz felt uneasy. Surely that wasn’t their only means of defense? As they continued to run through, Chaz could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand. Something felt off to him. </p><p>“Why is it so quiet? Guys, hold on,” Chaz called out. His senses made him feel nervous and so he decided to stop the gang from going on. However, Rioichi missed the message and strayed further ahead. “Rioichi, slow down!”</p><p>But it was too late. It seemed the gang had a shadow and they fell right into its trap. Riochi was pounced on by El Jefe before being effortlessly lifted into the air by his blue hoodie. He kicked his feet as he hovered above the ground, trying to struggle from the grasp, but it had no effect. El Jefe took Rioichi’s cane and threw him back to the others prior to strapping the cane to his back. Before the gang could react, El Jefe took out his duel blades and stuck them into the bridge, piercing the thick wood as if it was butter. He began to sprint forward, driving his blades through the wood and leaving behind a flame that burnt the bridge into ashes. </p><p>Chunks of wood fell down into the clouds below. The sound of the fire spreading throughout the area snapped and popped. Black smoke crowded the air and made it extremely difficult to breathe. </p><p>El Jefe made it across the bridge to the other side and let out an insidious laugh. “Sorry Cooper, you lose! I need to deliver this puny stick to a new owner!”</p><p>Bentley slapped his hands against his face, looking completely distressed. “No! El Jefe is getting away!” </p><p>Chaz helped Rioichi up from the floor, watching . Seeing Rioichi’s shocked and defeated look flared up something inside of him. To be ambushed, attacked, and tossed to the side with no fight made his fist clench around his staff with anger. </p><p>“No, he isn’t. I’m going after him,” Chaz said.</p><p>“And I’m going with you. Watch after these two, Rioichi. We’re going to kick some tiger tail and get your cane back,” Sly added. </p><p>Together, they crossed the still lit bridge. Once on the other side, they made haste towards the double doors El Jefe left through. Upon opening it up, it came to their surprise that the other side had a whole new world to it. The air was still, the trees were motionless, and the sun casted its brilliant light over the area. A long cobblestone path led to a throne ahead with a smirking tiger sitting comfortably on it, petting a pigeon as he did so. </p><p>“Haha, hey Cooper! What do you think of my statue?” El Jefe yelled out.</p><p>The statue he referenced was one made up entirely of gold and stood several hundred feet in the air. It was still under construction it seemed. Wooden platforms were built around the head of the statue which was planted right behind his throne and shared a resemblance to the El Jefe, minus the bird droppings on him.</p><p>“Hah, it looks like a real bird magnet!” Sly remarked. </p><p>“You have some ego issues if you need a statue of yourself right behind you,” Chaz then added. </p><p>“I like to think my handsome face would be appreciated in an insignificant village such as this,” El Jefe’s cocky face slowly turned into one of uncertainty. “Wait a minute… I‘ve seen you before…” El Jefe peered at Chaz, trying to match the memory with the face. </p><p>“How could you forget the face of a ‘divine goddess?’” </p><p>“Oh, come on! Of course it was a dude!” El Jefe whined. </p><p>“Maybe think twice about kissing the hand of a stranger you just met, you never know who they might be… and what they might do.” </p><p>“Bah, it is of no significance. After I sell this dainty little stick and collect the reward, I’ll buy a room filled with chicks! That’ll show you! Adios, loser!” El Jefe told the two before jumping on a rope and cutting the weight tied at the end to ascend up into the sky. </p><p>Chaz sighed after seeing the amount of climbing he would have to do. “This guy sucks.” </p><p>“You can say that again,” Sly responded. </p><p>Using some ropes that dangled in the air, they climbed up to the construction platform near the statue's head. The statue was so high up that just a couple more feet would’ve brought them above the clouds. The view of the village below was impeccable. The houses looked like little toys and the plant life looked nothing more than green blobs all around. </p><p>The two climbed up onto the platform and were greeted with yet another cocky laugh. “A magnificent likeness isn’t it, Cooper? Almost as handsome as the real thing!” </p><p>“That’s a bit of a bold statement? I kinda prefer the statue more just for the reason that it doesn’t talk,” Chaz yelled out to El Jefe. </p><p>“Argh! What do you know!? You trick men by dressing as a beautiful woman!” </p><p>“You think I’m beautiful? Sly, did you hear that? He thinks I’m beautiful!” </p><p>“SHUT UP!” El Jefe stomped his foot into the ground and snarled. He then took his cigar out from his mouth and flicked ashes into the air. “Take a nice, long look! I want you to remember the one who crushed you!” he said as he rubbed his cigar in the palm of his hand. </p><p>“Looks like there’s nowhere else to run, El Jefe. Ready to face us now?” Sly yelled out. </p><p>“Hahahaha! Sticking up for the ol’ family, eh Cooper? Too bad you’ll never see any of them again.” </p><p>Something about what he said really didn’t sit right with Sly. He knew he was right though. He wouldn’t ever see them again and they’ll go back to being a distant memory. </p><p>Chaz noticed Sly put his head down and sensed his attitude change dramatically. To cheer him up, he walked over and put his head on his shoulder. “Don’t let this guy get to you, okay? What do you say we take him down and get Rioichi’s cane back, huh handsome? Then we’ll go back and unwind, if you catch my drift.” </p><p>The smile that Chaz cherished returned and it lit him up inside. He put his hand under Sly’s chin to scratch it before looking back to El Jefe who was hysterically laughing for whatever reason. </p><p>“Hahaha! You two climbed so high and now…” El Jefe jumped from his platform and slid down another rope. “You’re gonna fall!” he taunted them before taking out his duel blades and planting himself on a platform. </p><p>They had to get Rioichi’s cane back. They couldn’t risk letting it fall into the hands of someone else. With stakes at an all time high, they prepared. It was time to take down El Jefe, once and for all. <br/><br/></p><h2>End of The Chapter</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>🍋</p><p>Hey, get that out of here!</p><p>🚪💨🍋</p><p>No, wait! </p><p>🪟🍋🍋</p><p>Oh no. </p><p>   💨🍋🍋🍋<br/>💨🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋<br/>💨🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋<br/>🤌🍋🍋🍋🍋</p><p>When life gives you lemons, you put some of it into a story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 11</h1><p>The wind blew behind Sly and Chaz as they prepared to attack El Jefe. The mobile man repositioned himself on another wooden platform far from them. Unsheathing the swords from his back, he began to ignite the blades and launch fireballs right from it. The two were surprised at his unexpected arsenal and he certainly had a few more tricks up his sleeve and was bringing it all out to win. </p><p>“We have to get to him. Follow me, Chaz,” Sly told Chaz before beginning his push to El Jefe. </p><p>With the help of the bamboo support beams holding up the wooden construction platforms, they were able to cross over to get to El Jefe all while dodging his ranged attacks. As soon as they were close enough, El Jefe back flipped off the stand onto another, continuing his assault. </p><p>“Stop running! Take the beat down like a man!” Chaz shouted. </p><p>“All’s fair in the sky, amigo!” El Jefe responded.</p><p>El Jefe’s fireballs set flames to all the wood in the surrounding area. There was no way the whole construction sight would last with this much fire spreading and so the two had to finish him off quickly. Luckily for them, El Jefe had nowhere else to run. Up ahead on the flaming stage was the perfect chance to fight. </p><p>The two scaled the platform and saw El Jefe resting in the middle. His head was down, all was quiet besides the fire cackling in the wind, yet even though all was quiet the tension was still there. El Jefe was attempting to calm himself down and collect himself for the fight ahead. </p><p>“You know something, Cooper? You’re actually starting to annoy me.” </p><p>“Oh, don’t worry. I have that effect on all cowardly crime lords… and sometimes Chaz.” </p><p>The tiger turned his head, showing his fangs towards the two while letting out a deep growl. Chaz was kinda taken back by the noise and couldn’t help but smile. </p><p>With the place as it was, Chaz thought he could fit in a joke. “Ooh wow… that was kinda… hot.”</p><p>Sly looked at him with a disappointed look before shaking his head slowly. </p><p>Chaz put up his hands in protest. “Oh so I can’t make the corny jokes?” </p><p>El Jefe stood up and drew his dual blades once again. “Bah! Enough of these stupid games.” </p><p>The two stood by as they watched El Jefe begin channeling something into his swords. Electricity started to flow around the swords he held, making the air around feel tingly almost. Chaz felt his fur stand while El Jefe readied his blade. With one slow swipe, he unleashed a lighting wave that the two had to jump to dodge. </p><p>Chaz did his best to pat down his puffed up fur that rises, but to no avail. “No, no! Not the fur! Can you turn the electricity off for the fight!?” Chaz cried out as they ran around the stage, dodging El Jefe’s attacks. </p><p>El Jefe clashed his swords together, forming another fireball. Just by the look of the sheer size of the thing, there was no way of dodging it. Sly had to react quickly so he swiftly took out his shield and held it in front of him. </p><p>“Chaz, get behind me!” Sly instructed. Chaz did as told and crouched behind Sly. El Jefe seemed to be finished with the giant orange fireball and set it forward with his sword right towards the two. Sly stood his ground and reflected the fireball from his shield right back to him, pushing him back and stunning him in the process. The two took the opportunity to swing at him with their weapons, knocking him side to side as they did so. </p><p>After several swings, El Jefe stumbled back once again and regathered himself. His anger filled himself once more and he let out another snarl. “They’re good… There’s no way I can take the both of them,” he thought to himself for a way of evening the fight. His eyes surveyed the area until he noticed a hanging set of empty crates right over Chaz. That was just what he needed to give him the upper hand.</p><p>With quick movements, he leaped off the structure and onto the hanging boxes held together by a net. Using his blade, he cut the rope suspending the empty crates, sending it crashing down below. Sly saw what El Jefe was doing and reacted quickly, but the net came down all too fast for Chaz and the crates followed through, landing right on him and trapping him under. </p><p>“CHAZ!” Sly screamed out. </p><p>Chaz cried out right as he felt the weight of the wooden boxes stack on him. The weight of the wooden crates but it so that he was unable to move under them. His strength wasn’t enough to lift all the boxes and he quickly became fatigued from attempting to do so. </p><p>“Hahahaha! You’re too slow, Chaz! So long, Cooper!” El Jefe taunted them before continuing his escape.</p><p>Sly began to push the crates off Chaz one by one. As the weight loosened off of his back, Chaz caught a glimpse of El Jefe making a break for it and sighed out. Sly was going way too slow for him to help him up and chase after El Jefe after. He knew that if Sly kept trying, El Jefe would get away and the cane would be lost forever.</p><p> “Sly… stop it! Go get Rioichi’s cane!” </p><p>Sly shook his head in disbelief after hearing Chaz scream out. “Are you kidding me?! We’ll regroup with the others and fig-“</p><p>“I SAID GO!” he abruptly yelled. The pain was getting to be too much and he couldn’t focus his breath. The farther El Jefe got, the more he stressed. Sly stared as if he was zoning out, making Chaz sigh out to relieve some frustration before continuing with, “I- I’ll be fine! Just go ahead and… get the cane back!” </p><p>“But- I can’t just…” </p><p>“Trust me Sly… Please...” Chaz pleaded. </p><p>Sly felt torn to leave this side of Chaz still stuck under the rubble, but El Jefe was indeed getting away. He had to trust Chaz and go on ahead.</p><p>“Okay! Stay calm, Chaz. I’ll be right back,” he said before running off after El Jefe. </p><p>Chaz watched Sly jump across the suspended platforms. He grimaced in pain before his vision slowly began to become blurry. He huffed out his air in shallow takes.</p><p>“...get him Sly…” </p><p>Sly was able to catch up to the fleeing tiger and get a swing in midair as he did so. The force sent El Jefe soaring down, landing hard on another wooden level. El Jefe coughed out and stabbed his blades into the floor to stand up. He held onto his chest and glared over at his attacker. </p><p>“You… estupido rata! You’re that desperate to get me over a wooden cane! Face it, you lost!” </p><p>Sly crossed his arms before responding with, “I had just about enough of you. Hand over the cane or else.” </p><p>“Haha… Is the ring tailed rat upset because his friend is stuck suffering under rubble? Go on Cooper, go help your little fox! I’m sure he could use the hand!” </p><p>Sly kept his composure. He knew was wasting valuable time just by talking with him. “Alright, El Jefe. I’m putting you down.” </p><p>“Bring it,” El Jefe charged his blade with electricity and swung at Sly with it, releasing another wave of lightning out from the steel. Sly was able to dodge it and get his own swing in, staggering him in the process. El Jefe growled and tried to counterattack, but Sly was all too swift. He hit him with his cane again, tripping him and causing him to curse out in the process. </p><p>El Jefe was irritated, tired, and hurt. With nowhere else to run he had no choice but to end it here. He connected his swords together once more, building up another fireball twice the size of the last one. The metal on his swords glew a bright red as it charged up further and further until it was ready. </p><p>Sly got the shield from his disguise and put it in front of him, ready to deflect the oncoming attack. The fireball was shot out and Sly planted one of his feet behind him to better stand his ground. The fireball eventually connected, clashing against the shield, making sounds of metal scratching before bouncing right off of it. </p><p>El Jefe watched in slow motion as the fireball reflected right off the shield and was traveling back to him. The fear that struck him made his tail straighten, his fingers tremble, and his face shrivel up in horror. The ball connected right into his chest, taking any air in his lungs right out. He lost his footing and fell backwards onto the floor, his vision soon fading out as the clouds above moved about. He blinked once, then twice, then the world darkened around him with each blink until it blackened and he fell into unconsciousness.</p><p>Sly smiled after seeing El Jefe on the ground, knocked down and defeated. His vision soon focused on the cane strapped to El Jefe’s back. The joy of the victory and reward for defeating El Jefe was right in front of him. He bent down, ready to take it and run back to Chaz. </p><p>
  <em> Clink!  </em>
</p><p>The sound of a hollow metal device echoed out as it bounced to the side of El Jefe. Sly saw the canister rolling towards his feet before stopping before him. An audible tick could be heard from the machine, and Sly immediately knew what the random device was. Before he could comprehend what was happening, a giant metal clamp dropped from the sky and implanted right into the wood next to El Jefe.</p><p> The same guards dressed in hazard suits used the rope connected to the device to zip down and intercept Sly. They started firing off shots from their weapons and Sly had no choice but to run and jump over the edge of the platform, using his cane to keep himself suspended on it. The grenade inevitably exploded, releasing a green gas around the area. </p><p>As soon as the sounds on the gun fire went away, Sly climbed back up. Another look at El Jefe’s body made him realize that the cane was gone. A new shadow casted itself over Sly and he looked up at the giant blimp in the sky. The guards used the grapple to ascend back up onto the blimp before it began to take off into the sky. Sly peered into the giant glass window under the blimp and into a set of eyes staring down at him. </p><p>The blackened figure turned around and left and as soon as they did, the blimp began to move quicker. The giant contraption began to spark a fluorescent blue around it before a loud zap whipped the air and in a blink of an eye, the blimp was gone. Coming down from the sky was what seemed to be a golden star. It landed and bounced a few times before rolling to Sly who stopped it with his foot.</p><p>“One of them dropped something… A badge…?” Sly said to himself. “What is going on…” Questions raced in his head before he remembered who was left behind. His heart sank and wasted no time making his way back to the previous area where Chaz lied unresponsive under the crates. His heart raced as he pulled Chaz from under the rubbage. All that he could think of now was making sure he was alive. </p><p>Sly leaned down and put his ear against Chaz’s chest. A wave of relief flowed through him after hearing a heartbeat. He picked up Chaz in a bridal position and took a makeshift elevator back down to the village. The rest of the gang waited below as Sly slowly came down from the machine. What they thought was going to be a happy reunion was instead the complete opposite. The look of shock spread across everyone’s face as they saw Chaz unconscious in Sly’s arms. </p><p>The gang got back to the hideout and was able to lug back El Jefe along with them. Murray and Bentley took the van to drop off El Jefe to the authority back in their time. Sly and Rioichi stayed behind with Chaz, nursing him back to health in the meantime. He suffered a few scratches and bruising around the lower half of his back but fortunately it was nothing he couldn’t recover from. It was definitely one of his luckier takes upon his impressive history of injuries. At worst, he was going to be sore for a couple days. </p><p>Although it was a victory, Sly felt like he lost. He wasn’t able to get back Rioichi’s cane and worse, Chaz got hurt because of it. Guilt was all he could feel while he watched over Chaz until the others got back. </p><p>Rioichi knocked on the door to the room before sliding open the door. He peeked his head from around the door before walking in. “How is Chaz-san?” he asked. </p><p>“He’s doing well. He’s moving around some more in his sleep and Bentley said he should wake up feeling better soon,” Sly said. </p><p>“I pray for a quick recovery…” Rioichi trailed off for a moment as he examined Chaz himself. “I understand you are leaving shortly. Before you go, I just wanted to say thank you for all of your help. Do not feel bad for the unforeseen circumstances.” </p><p>“You’re welcome, Rioichi. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get your cane back,” Sly responded. </p><p>“Don’t be. I trust in your ability to stop whoever committed such acts. I wish you well on your journey. As a matter of fact, here,” Rioichi handed Sly a small wooden box and inside were sets of sushi he created. </p><p>“It looks great. I’m sure Chaz will love it.” </p><p>Rioichi bowed his head and turned towards the door. “Excuse me but I am not all the best at goodbyes. It was an honor to meet you Sly-san. It calms me to know the future of the Cooper Clan is in good hands.” </p><p>Sly smirked before responding with, “I appreciate it. I’ll be back and it’ll be with your cane as well.” </p><p>Rioichi smirked before walking through the door, closing it behind them. The slam from the door echoed in the room, causing Chaz to squirm a bit under the covers. Sly looked down at the figure who groaned quietly and began to slowly open his eyes.</p><p>Chaz woke up and yawned out prior to looking around the room. The last thing he remembered was losing consciousness while stuck under a bunch of crates but now he seemed to be back at the hideout.</p><p>“Hey… would you look at that? You did it,” he said before he shifted his head a little more to the other direction and saw the grey furred raccoon looking down at him. He couldn’t hold in his beam of joy after seeing Sly. “I heard you saying my name when you were carrying me. I forget how strong you are sometimes.” </p><p>Sly felt his throat close from hearing Chaz talking in a tired and weak voice. He tried to find the joy in his compliment but knowing Chaz got hurt because of him not being careful made his heart ache. </p><p>“I’m sorry…” was all he could think to say. </p><p>“For what? You didn’t do anything…” </p><p>Sly turned his head away from Chaz, ashamed to even look at him. “That’s the thing… I should’ve seen it coming.” </p><p>“Oh stop,” Chaz leaned up from his bed, feeling the pain as soon as he did so, but he persevered through it. He cupped Sly’s cheeks with both of his hands. “Look. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I’m here, you’re here, everyone made it out.” </p><p>“...I still couldn’t keep you safe or even get the cane back…” </p><p>To hear Sly so down made Chaz smile a bit. He always thought it was cute of Sly to worry about things, especially when Chaz himself is so nonchalant about it. Contrasting personalities which was one of the many reasons why Chaz fell in love with him. </p><p>Chaz wrapped his arms around Sly’s neck and put his own face close to his. “You didn’t fail. We didn’t know who we were dealing with, okay? You need to relax. Those crates barely did any damage. It feels like a sore muscle at best,” Chaz said as he brought Sly down onto the bed with him. While looking into his worried eyes, he gently rubbed his cheek with his hand. </p><p>“Why do you love me even after I got you hurt?” Sly asked as he laid on Chaz’s chest.  </p><p>“Come on, cut it out with that. There’s plenty of reasons as for why I love you… Like… You’re caring, sweet…” Chaz began to feel Sly's arms, gently grasping his muscles in the process. “Strong, cute, amazing… Do you want me to continue?”</p><p>Sly chuckled. “Just a bit longer…” he said after. </p><p>“Okay, okay, let’s see… Compassionate, gentle… rough when you need to be… and big in all the right places,” Chaz’s hands traveled down Sly’s chest to his stomach as he laid on top of him. </p><p>Sly continued to laugh until he locked lips with Chaz. Chaz’s roaming hands went lower and lower until one was placed right between Sly’s legs. </p><p>Sly’s eyes widened before saying,  “Are you sure? Aren’t you… in pain?” </p><p>“Trust me, I wouldn’t be all over you if I was in pain or getting you worked up if I wasn’t looking for any either…” </p><p>“So, you want to…? Uh, yeah, I won’t say no to you.” </p><p>“Then get to it,” Chaz whispered. </p><p>Sly didn’t think twice of the acceptance and immediately began roaming Chaz’s body, lifting his shirt over his head and slightly lowering his pants in the process. He delicately sucked on Chaz’s neck as his own hand roamed Chaz’s body, stopping at his chest to play with the sensitive parts a bit. Hearing Chaz moan quietly from his touch gave him all the incentive to continue. </p><p>“Tell me if I hurt you, okay?” Sly said. </p><p>“Mmhm...” </p><p>He was able to pull Chaz’s pants down below his waist and slip his hand under his underwear. He started to stroke Chaz as he continued to plant kisses around his neck and under his jaw. He went slowly in an up and down motion, feeling the slick liquid lubricate his process as he did so. </p><p>Chaz was shivering just from Sly’s touch and knew he was ready when his legs startled to tremble. Sly took off his own clothing and put himself between Chaz’s legs, preparing himself. He lifted Chaz’s leg and put it over his shoulder for not only the view but easier access.</p><p>Before he continued, he looked around for his bottle but couldn’t find it anywhere. He tried his best to not ruin the mood, but he swiftly became agitated after not locating the thing in his clothing.</p><p>“Ack, come on… I could’ve sworn I kept in my pouch…” </p><p>Chaz faked a cough and chortled from the look of the eager raccoon. “I’m out for a couple of hours and you suddenly forget everything?” he said as he dangled a bottle in his hand. </p><p>“I thought I put it in my pouch.”</p><p>“It’s a bit strange that you carry that everywhere. It’s almost as if you assume for something to happen while we’re out.” </p><p>Sly took the bottle from his hands and opened it before putting the sleek clear liquid on his hands. He then rubbed the liquid onto his member and lined himself up with Chaz. “Gotta be prepared for anything y’know.” </p><p>“Oh, I know. Really shows the level of preparation when you lose said item.” </p><p>“Touché,” Sly responded. Now all that was left was getting that cocky grin off Chaz’s face, and he had the perfect way to do so.</p><p>He paused before positioning himself with Chaz. With one last confirming look, he started to slowly slide his member into Chaz, being careful not to hurt him too much in the process. The little yelps and moans only turned on Sly more than he already was. He held back everything in him to bury himself into the smaller figure, making him cry out for him in the process. </p><p>Instead he kept at a slow pace and said, “You’re amazing...” </p><p>“Ah…” Chaz whimpered.</p><p>As soon as Sly was in all the way, he leaned forward and shut Chaz up by taking him into another kiss. As their tongues fought for dominance, Sly slowly moved his hip back before thrusting. This allowed Sly to stick his tongue into Chaz’s mouth, French kissing him while beginning to pick up the speed. They moaned into each other’s mouth and each felt the pleasure begin to rise in them. </p><p>Chaz gripped the blankets under him and tried his best not to scream out from joy. The satisfaction he felt while he was being filled by Sly’s girth was unreal to him. Every inch filled him leading to a mixture of pain that swiftly washed away into pleasure. As if the experience couldn’t get better, he passed by his prostate, sending jolts of ecatasy which crawled up his spine while simultaneously making his toes curl. </p><p>Once again he wrapped his arms around Sly’s neck to keep the warmth of his chest and breath as close to him as possible. During that, Sly snuck a hand in between them to begin rubbing Chaz’s member as well. Sly’s weight on top of him prevented Chaz from arching his back from his body’s natural response. </p><p>Chaz took the moment to pry his eyes open and look up at Sly. The satisfied face the man had on him made him chuckle and gave him a bit of butterflies in his stomach. He was biting down on his lower lip, his eyes were closed, his face scrunched up looking to be doing the best in not expressing every sensation of the moment.</p><p>“...heh, you doing okay there, Sly?” </p><p>Sly slowed down at the sound of his name being called, but he didn’t stop. “I’m... doing great. How about you? You enjoying yourself?” </p><p>“Oh, you know it... You don’t have to hold back if that’s what you’re worried about. I can take it,” </p><p>“Say less,” </p><p>Sly thrusted harder and faster than before. He made sure this time to keep an eye open to see Chaz’s reactions and he couldn’t be happier he did so. The mouth that left the snarky remark was now biting down on a finger trying to contain itself.</p><p>The room rose in temperature with their body reflecting that as well. The two were panting desperately while keeping the pleasurable rhythm. As time passed, Sly only increased in speed and Chaz soon felt the pulsing inside him.</p><p>He sensed himself nearing climax as well and tried his best to hold it in, but Sly’s firm but soft grip and his perfect speed made it impossible to. He came onto Sly’s hand and some landed on the fur on his stomach, blending in with the color. </p><p>At that time his whole body tensed just enough to squeeze around Sly, making himself come close as well. Sly moaned out after feeling Chaz gripping around his member. Unable to keep himself going any longer, Sly pulled out of Chaz and jerked himself a few times before releasing onto the smaller figure’s stomach, groaning out in a deep growl as he did so. </p><p>Sly’s legs gave out and he fell over onto Chaz. His head bobbed up and down as he laid on Chaz’s chest. Their bodies did their best to recover from the climax and it took them a few moments to even gather the strength to move. </p><p>After several moments of heavy breathing, Sly lifted his head up to look up at Chaz. “Woo… That was…was…” he lost track as he continued to pant. </p><p>“...Amazing?” Chaz finished. </p><p>“Yeah, that’s it.” </p><p>Sly used his arms to lift himself off of Chaz. The air in the room made the sticky substance on his and Chaz’s stomach cold as he got off of the figure. </p><p>“You made a mess,” Chaz told Sly. </p><p>“I couldn’t help it. You get the juices flowing.” </p><p>“Ew, do not call it that,” Chaz said while trying to hold in his laughter. </p><p>Sly shrugged his shoulders before saying, “What do you want it to be called? There’s baby gravy, sticky fun time, happy sauce…” </p><p>Chaz covered his ears in an attempt to block out the cringe names. “Stoooooooop! I hate all of it! Help me up, I need a relaxing bath.” </p><p>Sly offered a hand and brought Chaz to his feet. He let go but swiftly returned it as soon as Chaz began to lose his balance. </p><p>“Is that the medicine or from me?” Sly questioned. </p><p>“A little bit of both. Now, there’s really no point of me really asking because you were just gonna invite yourself in anyways but would you like to take a bath with me?” </p><p>Sly stood confidently in his still naked body. “As a matter of fact, yes, I would,” </p><p>“You’re so weird. You’re lucky I love you,” Chaz responded. </p><p>“I love you too, cotton ball.” </p><h2>End of The Chapter</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the late upload!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 12</h1><p> </p><p>It was time to check on the status of the Thievius Raccoonus with the self proclaimed stylish, groovy,  dancer, artist, and photographer; Dimitri. Chaz dreaded having to speak to him again and praised the months he had away from him. He’s like a leech that stuck itself onto the Cooper Gang history and although he is annoying, he did prove his loyalty. </p><p>However, Chaz still knew that Dimitri was going to say something to upset him, he always did. So he rested his head on Sly’s shoulder while they called in the lizard. </p><p>Bentley’s green machine crystal invention began to spark a sky blue color before some projector shined through, and staring right through it was Dimitri. “Eh, hello? Do you hear me? Where is the volume button on this thing? Bentley, bro, we couldn’t just use a phone?” </p><p>“No, Dimitri. A phone wouldn’t work if there are no telephone poles nearby,” Bentley responded. </p><p>“This thing doesn’t fit my aesthetic, dig? Use that brain of yours to build portable telephone pole!” </p><p>“Dimitri, I- Just give us the update on the Thievius Raccoonus! You still have it right?” </p><p>“Of course, bro! I use it as a coaster for my wine glass!” </p><p>Chaz shot up from his position on Sly’s shoulder and turned the machine so the hologram faced him. “Dimitri so help me god if you ruin Sly’s book I will travel back in time to the nightclub and beat your head with my staff again and again until you-“ </p><p>“Chaz, hey! What’s up?! Long time no fun really seeing you. I see the fur is still nice and white but your attitude is still very unprofessional. We’re on a mission, bro. Calm down a bit,” Dimitri said in a relaxed tone. </p><p>Chaz felt the vein in his forehead pulse and almost grabbed the machine and threw it against the van door. “Give me the keys. Give me the keys! Where are the keys? I want the keys!” Chaz said as he patted Murray in an attempt to find what he was looking for. </p><p>Bentley turned the machine back around while Chaz and Murray attempted to calm Chaz down. “Alright Dimitri, enough playing around. What’s the status of the book?”</p><p>“Okay, okay, let me look… Ah… Oh…? I see… Interesting!” Dimitri continued to ramble on. </p><p>“Dimitri!” Bentley called out. </p><p>“Oh, sorry bro. M’kay… Where was I? Ah! By the looks of it, the chapters with the dude named Tennis-Court Cooper are vanishing. Might want to check that out! I sense some baaaaad mojo jojo.” </p><p>Bentley rubbed his chin as he put himself through some deep thinking. “Okay, Dimitri, thanks for the help. We’ll be seeing you soon. Oh, and no using the book as a coaster. Be more responsible with it please.” </p><p>“Sure can do, guy. Responsible Dimitri is at your service!” Dimitri told Bentley before he hung up, leaving Bentley to think some more. </p><p>“Tennessee Kid Cooper… That was back in… the eighteen eighties? How will we possibly get there?” Bentley thought out loud which attracted the attention of Sly. </p><p>Sly dug through his pocket and took out the badge that dropped from the mysterious blimp back in Japan and said “Hey, Bentley, check out this badge. This looks like it has some history to it,” and handed him the badge.</p><p>Bentley perked up and looked at Sly’s hand. “Hmm… Interesting,” he said before taking the badge and holding it up to his glasses. “It does appear to be a bit on the older side. Let me run it through my system and see what we’re working with.” </p><p>Some time passed as Bentley’s machines did the work of finding out just when that badge was made. In the meantime, the others discussed their next destination which would be the Wild West. A hot, dusty, sandy desert where Sly’s ancestor Tennesse Kid Cooper used to live. Chaz remembered clearly who he waswhen he visited the Cooper vault and it is still the funniest thing he knows to date. </p><p>While he was excited to meet another one of Sly’s ancestors, the environment wasn’t all his favorite. He’s never been to any desert before and for a good reason… he hates them. An Arctic Fox in the desert is basically a death sentence for him. He’s not used to the heat and he never will be. </p><p>Bentley finally came back with the lab results and pulled back the gang’s attention towards him for a quick meeting. “Okay guys, the badge that Sly found had a bit more background to it than it looked. The badge is from the exact time period that Tennessee Kid Cooper is from, which means more than one thing. Whoever is on that blimp has the same technology we do and there’s no doubt that they’re the one causing the trouble. It’ll get a bit serious from here on out so be ready.” </p><p>Chaz raised his hand. </p><p>“Yes, Chaz?” Bentley asked. </p><p>“Is… Is it gonna be hot?” </p><p>“Of course, we’ll be traveling to a desert.” </p><p>Chaz took a deep inhale in. “Okay. Question number two. Do I have to go?” </p><p>“Well… I… Uh…? Y-yeah, I kinda thought that was the plan,” Bentley awkwardly responded. </p><p>“Well I don’t want to go.” </p><p>“You’re going,” Sly said.</p><p>“No, I’m not,” Chaz replied. </p><p>“C’mon, Chaz! You got this! The Gang always sticks together,” Murray added. </p><p>“Okay, then I quit.”</p><p>The van began to make a bunch of robotical noises and shook slightly. Chaz was confused as to why the van started to shake a bit and glanced over at Bentley who was calibrating the time machine. </p><p>“Uh, what are you doing?” Chaz nervously queried.</p><p>“Oh, oops, my fingers seemed to have slipped,” Bentley told Chaz. </p><p>“Well unslip them. I said I’m not going.” </p><p>“I can’t. It’s not how the machine works. You’ll just have to join us for the ride.” </p><p>Chaz opened his mouth in awe as everyone looked at him with a smug look. Never in his life has he been this disrespected before. His rights as a living being were stripped from him. His feelings were invalidated. The friendship was taken for granted. </p><p>Chaz nodded his head in disappointment as the machine dinged, signifying it was ready to teleport. “You are all a bunch of bit-“ </p><p>
  <em> Poof! </em>
</p><p>The machine warped them through the time vortex all the way back to the 1800’s, landing right in the Wild West. The gang immediately got to work on pinpointing where Tennessee Kid Cooper. They drove miles through the desert until they eventually found a tiny town in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. After some digging around, Bentley learned that Tennessee lived in the town and was in it right now, but inside jail. Apparently a new sheriff by the name of Toothpick took over the town and was able to catch Tennessee, tossing him right in his county jail for his crimes.</p><p>Before the gang could tackle the Thievius Raccoonus problem, they had to bust him out of jail. However, that wasn’t going to be an easy task. Bentley concluded that the only way of getting Tennessee out of jail was from the inside and with the delicate attitude of Chaz at that moment, it seemed it was up to Sly to get himself arrested. </p><p>Their base of operations was inside a clocktower with little to no room in between it. The worst of all, the place had no way of cooling the room inside of it. Before the gang could make plans to go out, Chaz demanded for some sort of air cooler to be built, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. Bentley quickly put together his own twist of an air cooler and set it up for Chaz to even leave the van. After some time, he eventually came out to explore the environment. </p><p>“So are you willing to go out now?” Sly questioned the fox sitting on a bench with a book in hand, relaxing in the cool air in the room.</p><p>“Don’t talk to me,” he harshly responded.</p><p>“Come on! I said I was sorry! I even massaged your shoulders and de-fluffed your fur like you asked for!” </p><p>Chaz ignored Sly and continued to read through his book. </p><p>Sly grew annoyed at how good Chaz was at being petty. If he can’t get him with a back massage, then bribing him is the next step. “I’ll buy you that hat you saw on your way here if you come with me.”</p><p>Chaz stopped mid page flip and put down his book. “The giant straw one that cost more than the others?” </p><p>Sly sighed. “Yes, that one.” </p><p>Chaz placed his bookmark inside the book and shut it. “That is an offer that I accept. Do remember that if you lie to me I’ll swap your shampoo with hair-removal gel and dump you.” </p><p>Sly rolled his eyes and pushed open the giant glass clock. “It’s a deal. Now come on, we have a jail break.” </p><p>The two ventured into the town secluded far into the desert and as old as they can be. The sun pierced down, warming the rocky, brown terrain under any who pathed across it. Plants that were once able to grow from the water deprived soil were withered and dry to the touch. The air was thick with dust and sand and leaving one's mouth open for even a second would dry it out with the mixture of it. The plentiful amount of bars and saloons around the town had Bull’s with their flashlights going in and out dressed in their overalls and cowboy hats. </p><p>The two kept to their own and strolled through the town, yet they weren’t able to avoid the looks of the commoners. It was probably due to Chaz walking as if his leg were broken and panting like he hadn’t drunk any sort of beverage in years. He was sure he would have a heat stroke at any moment. All this heat made him feel strange inside. His usual calm mindset was altered to rather indecisive and forward thoughts. </p><p>Chaz looked at Sly and started to lick his lips. Even though he’s been around the same man everyday for months now, he couldn’t help but admire Sly’s height, his muscles that left outlines in his shirt, his walk… the prize underneath his pants. </p><p>“I kinda just want to…” His body told him to pounce but he held himself back, soon shaking his head and realizing what exactly he was thinking. “<em> Why did I… I’m not usually that… desperate? It has to be this heat, </em>” he thought. In an attempt to distract himself, he began to fan himself off with his hand. </p><p>“You doing alright there, Chaz?” Sly asked. </p><p>“I’d be better if you did- No, no, no, no… I’m sorry,” Chaz rushed his words as he began to freak out. He had to get out of this heat. </p><p>“What was that?” Sly stood still and questioned. </p><p>“Nothing! Let’s just continue walking please. I don’t want to be out here for long.” </p><p>“Right… Well lucky for you we made it to the pinpoint. You wanna sit while I call in Bentley?” </p><p>“...Depends on what you’ll have me sit on...” Chaz said under his breath. </p><p>“You gotta speak up, Chaz.” </p><p>Chaz cleared his throat before saying, “I’m losing my voice, don’t mind me. Call in Bentley.” </p><p>Sly peered at Chaz for a few moments before reaching in his bag to pull out his binocucom. One more quick glance at Chaz and he saw that the figure had his eyes closed shut and was rubbing his forehead. </p><p>“<em>He’s acting strange</em>,” Sly thought as he tinkered with the settings before reaching Bentley’s contact and calling him in. </p><p>Before Sly could even get a word out, Bentley cut him off by saying, “Sly, I just found out that they’re already rigging a noose for Tennessee, so we don’t have time for a complicated plan. All my data points to one thing - The quickest way inside that prison is to get yourself arrested.” </p><p>“Get myself arrested? I trust you Bentley but I’m not sure about getting myself locked up in this town.”</p><p>“Sorry, Sly. It’s the only way we’re going to reach Tennessee in time. It appears that he is in the maximum security prison and to get in there you’ll have to gain the ‘outlaw’ status. It’s up to you and Chaz to figure out your method of attack. Good luck partners.” </p><p>Bentley hung up and left Sly to begin his devious actions. “You hear that Chaz? We gotta find a way to get thrown in jail. Have any ideas?” </p><p>“Uh… Well… We could vandalize the posters of the sheriff around town for starter, I think. Maybe. It’s hard to really focus right now.” </p><p>“That’s not a bad idea. Let’s do it! That’s sure to get me some attention around here.”</p><p>And so the two went on to vandalize countless posters belonging to the Sheriff in town. Chaz let Sly have the fun because of the way he was feeling and didn’t want to say anything strange. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a bit embarrassed to even be thinking that sort of way, even with Sly. </p><p>As soon as they wrapped up their friendly graffiti, they moved on to the next part of the mission; stealing from the Sheriff. Sheriff Toothpick loves lollipops, more specifically his rice and beans flavor sweets. He keeps a stash of them in his special container up on his office balcony and can only get them shipped to him. This was sure to get under his skin and it made for easy pickings for the two thieves. </p><p>With that in hand, it was now time for one last strike. Held up high near the railroad tracks was a sign with Sheriff Toothpicks name hanging high and mighty. The fabric moved with the warm breeze carried through and by the looks of the fabric, it seemed to be expensive. Getting rid of that would definitely send the man over the edge, and so that’s exactly what the two did. They undid the pins holding the banner and let the wind carry it along in the distance. Now all that was left was to wait, so they sat down on the support beams perched high up from the ground, overlooking the town below the canyon. </p><p>Sly rubbed his hands free of dirt before talking to Chaz. “I think we’ve done enough to get me into a bit of trouble.” </p><p>Unresponsive, Chaz tried to mute Sly’s words and focus on regaining what he felt like was his lost sanity. “Uh huh, yeah,” Chaz said. </p><p>Sly gazed at Chaz for a few moment, examining the extremely awkward body language Chaz was giving off. “Are you feeling okay? I know the heat isn’t really for you but I worry,” he said while caressing Chaz’s shoulder. “You know you can tell me anything.” </p><p>The touch on his shoulder brought him back to reality and made him focus on Sly. He only caught a bit of what Sly said but by the look on his face, he could fill in the empty gaps. “<em> It’s not like I’m wrong for telling him…? I mean, we’ve done it countless times before so… I just don’t want to seem weird. </em>” </p><p>The touch on his shoulder and the soft gaze he received didn’t alter at all. Sly was waiting for an answer, anything at this point and there’s no way he’s hiding his worries from the man who’s seen and heard it all. He muscles up the courage to speak. </p><p>“Hold your fire boys!” </p><p>A voice from below cut Chaz off. Shocked, they looked down and saw a group of three looking back up at the two. Their guns were raised and they did not look like the happiest group to walk by.</p><p>“There’s those scribblin’, lolli-thieven’ outlaws I’ve been lookin’ for!” </p><p>The two were caught by Sheriff Toothpick himself who was accompanied by his armed guards. The armadillo wore a leather vest and pants, a belt with a comically large emblem strapped to the middle, and a cowboy hat. He was extremely irritated and held his own gun to Sly and Chaz above. </p><p>“You ready to face the law?” Sly asked. </p><p>“Pretty people like me don’t belong in jail,”  Chaz responded. </p><p>The couple leaped from the height and landed behind the guards, taking them by surprise. </p><p>Sly put his cane over his shoulders and spoke out to the guards. “Looking for us?” </p><p>Toothpick and his guys turned around and examined Sly swiftly before giving a wicked smile. “Well amigos, you just booked yourself a permanent room in the stony lonesome!”</p><p>Both guards surrounded them and restrained their hands behind their backs. Sheriff Toothpick slapped his knee and began laughing at them, celebrating his victory. They pushed them along through the valley, looking to be heading back straight to town. Just from the rough stroll there, Chaz knew he wasn’t going to be fit for prison. </p><h2>End of The Chapter</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 13</h1><p> </p><p>Chaz was suited up in a baggy white and black jumpsuit which he thought didn’t compliment himself at all. The chain and heavy iron ball around his foot prevented him from escaping and made his movement sluggish. If that giant weight holding him down wasn’t enough to scare him from running off, it was the Bulls surrounding the place with machine guns that did. Thinking about it, he doesn’t know why he agreed to help Sly with his jail break but he is surely regretting it. </p><p>He was the first to be thrown into the cell after he was checked into the prison. The guard leading him up to that point wasn’t all that nice and constantly shoved him along the way when he slowed down from the heavy weight of the iron ball strapped on his foot. They stopped outside of the cell door before he was shoved inside. The heavy metal door then slammed shut behind him.</p><p>“Jerk,” Chaz quietly said. After catching his breath, he inspected the room around him and it didn’t take him long to hate it. The room was dark with only a tiny window in the corner letting in the scorching sunlight. Dust rested in every corner and cobwebs trickled down from the ceiling as well. The air in the room was heavy from the heat and dust that danced around inside. It was almost as bad as standing outside with the only exception behind the lack of sand finding its way into his mouth or shoes. He noticed a bench in front of him and there seemed to be someone occupying it. </p><p>“Hello?” Chaz called out.</p><p>The figure rustled around in his laid down position on the bench. The person wearing the same outfit as Chaz turned his head and stared right at him. Chaz awed, immediately putting together in his mind who the resting person was. </p><p>The brown fur, thick, bushy, striped tail, the hole in the ear, the cowboy hat and toothpick between his teeth only belonged to one individual… Tennessee Kid Cooper. Chaz had flashbacks to all the stories Sly would tell him about his ancestor. The way he could ride on rails to make his quick escape, his expertise in picking locks with nothing but the toothpick in his mouth, and what was really highlighted in his story was his charm. </p><p>Tennessee flipped his hat out and whistled out. “Woo, would you look at that? Who knew other criminals could look this good! How ya doin, darlin’?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m doing fine. Thanks for asking, ” Chaz kindly responded. </p><p>“Did I pick up on an accent there, sugar?”</p><p>“Actually, it’s funny you would say that. I’m from Iceland.” </p><p>“A foreign boy… even better! I heard rumors but I’m glad I finally get to see one live in person and I just wanna say you are lookin’ fine! Looking at you makes up for all the ugly mugs I had to see. Say, what brings you here?”</p><p>“I’m here to bust you out.”</p><p>The smile on Tennessee’s face quickly faded before he spoke. “Now darlin’, that was kinda a mean joke. How am I supposed to believe someone as pretty as yourself can get me out of here? I’m thinking you’re a bit of a comedian!” </p><p>“<em>Did he just call me dumb </em>?” Chaz thought to himself before making his way over to the same bench to sit down on. “Aw, you started off so strong as well. Believe me or not, I don’t really care. All I know is that the mission is to bust you out of here, so why don’t you just do what you do best and stop thinking?” </p><p>“Woo-wee! We got a snapper! Don’t be mad at me, sugar. I’ll wait for you to do your thing and get us out of here,” he said with a condescending tone. </p><p>Chaz didn’t know whether to ignore the Cooper like he usually has to end up doing or just outright punch him. He decided to sit silently and meditate seeing as it was his best way of dealing with Sly. </p><p>Tennessee continued his gaze, completely fascinated at the white fox sitting right next to him. His beautiful white fur reflected the sunlight off it like snow would do. Everything was perky around him. His slim but fitted figure made him itch with excitement. Several minutes passed and he had yet to take his eye off him.</p><p>“We gonna kiss or wha’?” Tennessee abruptly asked. </p><p>Chaz sighed out. “No, we’re not,” he said.</p><p>As soon as he finished, the metal door in the room startled to make a noise as if someone was putting in the keys. The two’s attention was soon brought ahead as they waited for the door to open. A shadow soon casted through the bars in the door and the metal creaked loudly as it was pushed open, the light blinding them in the process. A rattle of a familiar chain slowly came closer and closer until the figure was inside the room. The prison door slam shut once again, shaking the room slightly it did. </p><p>Chaz could make out that outline from anywhere. “Nice of you to join us.” </p><p>Sly, with a heavy iron ball in hand, walked over to the two on the bench. “Yeah, they weren’t exactly the friendliest with me.” </p><p>“Well I’m glad that you’re here now. Tell your ancestor that we’re here to rescue him because apparently all I’m good for is my looks.” </p><p>Tennessee grunted before letting out a nervous laugh. “Heh, I didn’t say that! I was just playin’! Anywho… I take it you two know each other? And if you’re in here with me then it looks like you must’ve ticked ol’ Toothpick off pretty good! I like that. What’s y’all names?” </p><p>“I’m Chaz.” </p><p>“And I’m Sly. Sly Cooper.” </p><p>Tennessee stomped his foot against the wood and stood up, his face quickly turning into a frown as he did so. “Now son, you should know I don’t take kindly to folks funnin’ on my family name.” </p><p>Sly put up his hands in an attempt to calm Tennessee down. “Woah, woah, woah, I swear I’m not joking. I can explain…” </p><p>Before Sly could even speak, Tennessee stepped closer to him, anger still present, and pushed him back slightly. “Talk ain’t worth spit, Boy! Only one way to prove you’re a Cooper - Bust us outta here!” </p><p>“Right. Our friend Bentley is working on that… I hope.” </p><p>“He better. I can already tell this whole thing is going to get on my nerves,” Chaz added. </p><p>“While you do that, Sly, I’m gonna work my magic… if you catch my drift,” Tennessee pointed behind his back to Chaz sitting peacefully on the bench. </p><p>“Uh, not to come off as rude but-“ Sly was interrupted before he could finish. </p><p>“Too late, partner! I saw 'em first!” Tennessee interrupted before going back to Chaz. “Now, where were we... Chaz, was it?” </p><p>Chaz rolled his eyes and reclined back onto the wall. “Go ahead, Sly. I’ll keep him out of your hair.” </p><p>Sly looked once more as if he was going to intervene but Chaz motioned for him to continue on with getting them out of there. Sly did as told and let Chaz continue hearing the rambling of Tennessee as he called in Bentley.</p><p>“Alright Bentley. We don’t have much time before Chaz snaps at Tennessee. How do I get out of here?” </p><p>The static in his ear picked up prior to Bentley speaking. “You see that giant heavy ball chained to you? Why don’t you give it a toss at the crumbling wall in the room. It’s quite simple after that. You just follow the path out of there and use that ball to your advantage.” </p><p>Sly noticed the weak looking wall ahead of him. The concrete that held the room together was in shambles with countless cracks forming around the wall. It certainly did look breakable so he picked up the giant iron ball and gathered his strength before tossing it right at the wall, completely shattering it in the process and creating a monstrous size hole in the room. </p><p>“That’s more like it! Let’s get out of here!” Tennessee cheered out before skipping over to the two. During that, he decided to wrap his arm around Chaz’s, seeming as if he was going to guide him. “Just follow my lead, gorge-“ </p><p>Chaz yanked his own arm from the knot and pulled out his staff hidden in his pants before extending it out at just the right distance so it ended at Tennessee’s throat. “Listen, you’re gonna keep quiet and keep your distance from me. We’re rescuing you so I don’t need to be guided like I don’t know what I’m doing. Capeesh?” </p><p>Tennessee put his hands up to surrender. “Woah there, partner, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just like your company, okay?” </p><p>Chaz grunted before jumping off the platform to begin their escape. </p><p>“Haha, you made him mad. I haven’t seen him like that in a while,” Sly said. </p><p>“That’s a-okay. It’s always the hot tempered ones that love the most!” Tennessee responded back. </p><p>It was now time to move quickly. The guards were sure to approach in any second and they can’t risk getting caught again. One by one they jumped off from the newly created opening and into the prison below. Using Sly’s iron ball, they broke through countless doors and pushed heavy objects on the railings around. </p><p>However, their escape was going to become a bit more difficult. To actually leave the prison, they were going to have to blow a hole through one of the walls located in the back of the area. Luckily they were able to find a tnt crate in which Chaz forced Tennessee to carry. </p><p>Defenses picked up and Chaz and Sly had to work their way around countless security devices which were all too modern to be in this time period. Eventually they got Tennessee across the entire prison and to their destination with not a single worry, or most importantly casualty, sustained. </p><p>Tennessee planted the tnt barrel next to the wall Sly directed him to before Chaz chucked a lantern right at it, creating a wave of flames around the barrel. As expected, the tnt exploded, destroying the wall and sending bits and pieces of concrete flying around the courtyard. This of course triggered an alarm which loudly played through the area, alerting all the nearby guards. </p><p>Tennessee was as ecstatic as a kid in a toy store. The smile didn’t leave his face as he realized he was safe from the death penalty with the help of his new friends. </p><p>“I just want to say I knew you was a Cooper the second I laid eyes on you!” said Tennessee. </p><p>“This is cute and all but the guards with the machine guns are coming!” Chaz said in a panicked tone. </p><p>Sly nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, thanks Tennessee but we need to go!” Sly paused while bullets started to zip past them from the guards attempting to stop their escape. “You ready?” he continued. </p><p>Tennessee examined the edge that they stood on. Below was what seemed to be an endless drop to the canyon below and he didn’t exactly know what the two had in store for him now. It also didn’t help that he wasn’t the best with heights so jumping was out of the picture. </p><p>“Well, not really…” said Tennessee.</p><p>“Oh, come on! If you’re brave enough to flirt with a stranger then you’re brave enough to jump off a cliff,” Chaz told the man before not hesitating to push Tennessee off the cliff. </p><p>Sly and Chaz exchanged one quick smirk before following Tennessee off into the void below. Chaz caught up to Tennessee free falling in the air and grabbed a hold of him prior to releasing his paraglider and gliding through the valley. The guards in the distance were cursing out to them but they continued on. </p><p>Once Tennessee realized his wasn’t splattered onto the ground like a bug, the thrill of the rush came in. “Haha! Yee-haaaaaaaaaw!” </p><p>The gust of the desert wind carried them away from jail and to the life of freedom once again. The sun set on the orange-tone land and every guard was out in the saloon having their fun. With the mission officially done for the day, they regrouped at the hideout with the others and had a quick celebration and gave a warm welcome to Tennessee. </p><p>Hours passed and Murray and Bentley eventually departed to head to sleep for the night. Unlike them, the others preferred the night and stayed up to spend it together. With a stolen bottle of old fashion champagne in yet another stolen bucket with ice, Sly, Tennessee, and Chaz enjoyed the night while watching the moon between the canyon mountains. </p><p>“Hey, I just want to say thank y'all for rescuing me. I was as good as dead back there,” Tennessee said.</p><p>“Oh, it’s no problem really. It’s the least I can do for my ancestor,”  Sly responded. </p><p>Chaz remained silent while occasionally taking sips from his cup. The other two looked over at the fox who glistened in the night from the moon casting its white light over him. His fur blew in the direction of the wind, creating the illusion that the light was moving with it. His knees were to his chest, one arm over them with the other holding the cup, completely in tune with himself as he stared out into the distance. </p><p>“Wow…” Tennessee and Sly simultaneously remarked. </p><p>“Chaz, darlin, it’s rare to see guys as good lookin’ as you. If people look like you in the future then you better tie me up and throw me in a wagon because I want a trip there!” Tennessee said. </p><p>“Thank you, Tennessee,” was all Chaz said in response. </p><p>Sly awkwardly sat back as Tennessee’s curiosity of Chaz grew and showed in his movements. </p><p>“Say, since it’s a better time than ever, do you mind if we perhaps hit the town tomorrow and have fun? I’d love to show you around!” Tennessee questioned. </p><p>Sly almost spat out his drink into his cup. He looked up and over to Chaz with wide eyes, waiting for the response. </p><p>“Let me think…” Chaz pretended to be deep in thought while rubbing his chin with his hand. “Yeah, sorry, it’s a no from me.”</p><p>A sigh of relief came from Sly. </p><p>“Well I’ll stop by at- Wait, what?! Why?! How do you usually spend your spare time then?” </p><p>“Bent over while getting stuffed by the guy next to you,” Chaz calmly replied before another quick sip of his drink. </p><p>The quiet desert only grew more silent as Sly and Tennessee sat back completely astonished. Sly was shocked at the wording used and Tennessee was because he was flirting with someone already taken by the man right next to him. And though what was said completely froze them, Chaz remained collected and unphased as if his words didn’t mean anything. </p><p>“Oh, well, I- … I didn’t know! Sorry, partner,” Tennessee apologized. </p><p>“Y-you’re fine,” Sly stated.</p><p>“Does that answer your question, Kid?” Chaz questioned.</p><p>“I suppose it does… I’m mighty sorry for treadin’. I was only curious.” </p><p>“I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, you do know how to make someone feel good about themselves. I think that’s where Sly gets it from.” </p><p>“It comes naturally,” Sly replied.</p><p>Tennessee chuckled before saying, “Well you two look perfect for each other. Can’t get much mad if the one I was after is being taken care of already.” </p><p>“That’s the best thing I’ve heard you say so far.” </p><p>Chaz held up his cup to the others, preparing for a cheer. Raising their hands, they joined him for the final celebration of the night before the sun rises and a new set of missions are established. “To tomorrow!” </p><p>
  <em> Dink!  </em>
</p><p> </p><h2>End of The Chapter</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 14</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun rolled back around and continued the heatwave upon the desert. And of course with any new day, it was time for new missions. Tennessee explained how he was locked up for a heist that he should not have gotten caught for, especially before he was even able to commit it. Sheriff Toothpick, the so called hero behind Tennessee’s imprisonment, seemingly came out of nowhere and took over the tiny town and he ruled it with an iron fist. He was ruthless and careless, putting anyone in prison that disagreed with him or having the more persistent ones abruptly vanishing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley easily found Toothpick's criminal record. As expected, he was the leader of a mob in the present day who committed countless crimes of his own. The gunslinger vanished one day without a trace which was a story all too familiar with them. There was no doubt in the Gang’s mind that Toothpick’s sudden appearance had to do with their fellow time traveling enemy who was messing with the Cooper history. With no time to waste, the gang packed their necessities and prepared for the fight to bring back Tennessee’s fame and glory. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their first goal was to get back Tennessee’s cane. Murray, Tennessee and Bentley worked together to track down the whereabouts of it and pinpointed its location in a safe hidden in the canyon. The security was of course on the modern side of things yet that wasn’t going to ward off Bentley. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly, Tennessee, and Chaz stood watch as the other two worked their charm. Although they had the easier part of the mission, Chaz was still suffering from the scorching heat emitting from the sun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This heat…” Chaz said with a fatigued tone. </span>
</p><p>“Come on now, it ain’t all that bad,” Tennessee said.</p><p>“Sorry, I grew up surrounded by ice and snow. Heat is a bit different to me.” </p><p>“That explains a lot. I would say to go hit the saloon for a drink but you’d get cuffed instead.” </p><p>
  <span>Chaz rolled his eyes from the very unhelpful advice and looked over at Sly carefully inspecting the others from above. He soon became engrossed in his figure. His arms. His toned, strong arms. His chest that outlined his shirt perfectly. Everything about the figure in front of him was driving him mad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He subconsciously walked over before wrapping his hands around Sly’s arms, gripping it slightly to admire the feel around his hands. After he was satisfied, one hand wandered to his chest, feeling his pecs as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...az…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A mumble picked up but he ignored it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cha…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chaz! Chaz!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice eventually became clear and his vision focused back. He shook his head and stepped back from Sly, soon sensing the temperature around his face rising. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I really that much of a distraction for you?” Sly asked before laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was devastated and utterly embarrassed. Even though he was with Sly, he at least had self control and liked to see himself as the more restrained one but what he just did would say otherwise. Worse of all, he felt his pants to be a bit tighter than usual. He was all too excited from what he just realized he was doing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t take this heat!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he thought to himself. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what got over me,” he said back to Sly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be sorry, I was just shocked. You’re usually not that touchy, ” Sly replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know. I just think it’s this heat… Whenever I look at you I just want to…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To…? You’re telling me the heat is making me more irresistible than ever?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Exactly! Don’t twist this any other way!” Chaz exclaimed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The heat does do weird things to ya, pals,” Tennessee added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Tennessee! I can control it… I just need to occupy myself with something,” Chaz replied</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly smirked at Chaz and put an arm around him to bring him closer. “If it’s gratification you need then I may be able to help. I’m sure Bentley and Murray got this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’ll join!” Tennessee cheerfully added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly and Tennessee began laughing at the flustered Chaz tilting his head down. Chaz rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. </span>
</p><p>“Of course I get stuck with them,” Chaz said to himself. </p><p>
  <span>After some teasing later, the gang eventually broke into the vault and Tennessee and Chaz were sent off to find his cane. The others continued on with the rest of their tasks at hand, leaving the two to venture out and explore the vault. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee was the first to step inside and as soon as he did, the door made a loud creaking noise. Chaz was caught off guard and was too slow with his reactions. Tennessee noticed the door closing quickly and grabbed a hold of Chaz’s arm before yanking him forward into the vault, making him lose his balance and slam right into him. The two fell down and Chaz laid on his chest, recovering from the fall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although Tennessee’s vision was a bit blurry, he could easily make out what was lying on his chest. He let out a nervous chuckle and pushed on Chaz a bit to get his attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, you okay there partner?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz groaned before speaking, “Yeah, I think… so…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz picked his head up and looked directly into Tennessee’s eyes. He was amazed at how similar he looked to Sly. The face, eyes, ears, besides the hole in one of them and the color of his fur, they were almost identical. He has that same charm Sly has and it made his heart skip a beat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you hit ya head hard, Chaz?” Tennessee asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, I’m fine,” Chaz stood up and offered a hand to Tennessee. “Thank you for saving me from being crushed. I can tell you I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shucks, it’s nothin’. I don’t doubt Sly would have my head if I get ya back with as much as a scratch now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not usually that careless. I guess I should expect anything from a guy who likes bugs in his lollipops.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He does have a weird taste for his sweets now, don’t he?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz nodded his head and the two shared a laugh. Chaz acknowledged how comforting it is talking to Tennessee. Although they had a rough start, it was easy keeping up a conversation with him. Crazy enough, even though he just left Sly’s side, he’s missing him a little now. Tennessee was really just a Western Carbon Copy of Sly in terms of personality and it reminded him of Sly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like you Tennessee. I’m sorry for being a jerk to you in the beginning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no need for apologizin’! You had ya boundaries and I crossed them a bit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I was just a bit on edge. I just realized that you have such a charm to you- It reminds me of Sly. I think the best trait is when a guy can keep up in a conversation.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, don’t make me blush now. I’m still a bit tied up on the fact that Sly got ya first to be quite honest. This cowboy’s always a bit too late,” Tennessee said before kicking the ground with his boot and sighing loudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz raised his eyebrow in a curious manner. “If we’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>being honest now, I definitely would’ve taken up your date offer if I wasn’t with Sly,” he paused and slowly made his way to Tennessee before standing right at his side. “You look like a fun saddle to ride on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tug on a heart string that one was. Tennessee slowly turned his head, completely silent while the figure made his way by him. His heart was making its way down to his sleeve at that moment. He’s met a lot of people in his life but something about Chaz rubbed him in all the right ways. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiding his love struck face under the shadow of his cowboy hat, he followed Chaz deeper into the vault. The vault itself was filled with treasures and items that stacked high to the ceiling. Gold, jewelry, ammo crates, and lollipop reserves all littered the vault until they reached the end. Under a singular light was a rectangular glass container protecting something inside. Tennessee noticed what it was and almost bounced up with excitement after confirming it. The golden yellow Cooper cane, the long barrel made with the finest of metal, the gold strips around the gun with his name written in it, it was really it. Tennessee smashed the glass and retrieved his gun back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh huh, that’s right! The Kid is back in business!” Exclaimed Tennessee. </span>
</p><p>Chaz watched the figure filled with the joy that matched that of a child. He was truly ecstatic to have his gun back and it was almost cute seeing him that happy. </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, that looks really cool actually. Does it actually shoot?” Chaz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It sure does! My baby can hit a fly halfway ‘cross a canyon at the dusk of dawn! Wanna try it?” Tennessee responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz nervously laughed and scratched the back of his neck. “I never actually shot a gun before. I just use a stick to do the beating.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You what?! You ain’t lived until you fired a gun! I’ll teach ya how to use it… right after we find our way out of here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz gave Tennessee a gentle smile. “That sounds fun. Lead the way, cowboy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inside of the vault was surprisingly large and had several rooms to it. Each was filled with treasure that was most likely stolen and had countless security measures protecting it. The two had to work through laser grids, searchlights, modern day cameras, and some guards before they eventually reached the end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their exit was one metal door away and in order to get out, the locks to the doors had to be destroyed. Tennessee’s gun would make quick work out of it, but he planned to save the finisher for his teammate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Chaz stood looking at the direction of the metal door, Tennessee gently elbowed him. “Hey, wanna give it a go?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re really gonna let me try?” Chaz asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It would be my honor to teach a foreign boy like you my tricks.”</span>
</p><p>Chaz giggled before he took the cane gun from Tennessee’s hand. The gun itself had more weight to it than it appeared. The Cooper cane that was installed at the grip of a pistol was heavy and made for an awkward hold. The barrel was long and silver in color and was quite intimidating to look at. Chaz had no idea how to hold the gun and instead held it on its side with both hands. </p><p>
  <span>“How are ya gonna fire the thing when you don’t even have your finger in the trigger?” Tennessee questioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I never used a gun before!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay! First, line one of your fingers over the trigger like this,” he paused to guide Chaz’s hand with his own. “Then hold it outwards so you don’t shoot your foot. Now, breathe in and aim at your target, which would be that lock over there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz did as told and held the heavy piece of metal up, yet his grip was extremely shaky. It wobbled in his hand and made him even more nervous than he was before. It constantly swayed back and forth which was going to make it impossible to line up the shot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee felt a bit bad with how tense Chaz looked and decided to help him control the gun. He made his way behind Chaz and put his chest to his back. He wrapped his arms around the smaller fox and helped keep the gun still to line up the shot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling the warmth of Tennessee behind him made Chaz’s body fluster more than he would like to admit. Tennessee had a fair set of muscle, and even felt like more than what Sly had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let the nerves get to ya. Focus on your target and then pull the trigger,” Tennessee said with a calm tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz did as told and sucked in the air through his nose and aimed the gun at the lock in the door. He closed one eye in fear of the gun going haywire. He felt his hands get guided a bit more before it remained in place in the air. Tennessee tapped Chaz’s hand with his index finger, motioning for him to pull the trigger. Chaz hesitated before he eventually pressed down onto it, firing the gun forward with the pressure of the shot sending him back a little more into Tennessee. The gun omitted a yellow light at the end of the barrel before a sound similar to a balloon pop echoed around the walls inside the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shot connected straight to the metal gear and broke it clean off the door, causing it to open slightly. Chaz could feel his heart beating through his head at that point as he held the gun down towards the ground. He took a moment to appreciate it work and gleamed down at the broken metal before him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I- I...” he trailed off after realizing how close he really was to Tennessee. His bottom half lined up perfectly with the cowboy hugging him and he could actually feel what was between Tennessee’s legs with his own back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And to his horror, it didn’t end there. He felt the body of the figure move a bit closer to his own. As soon as he felt the tip of the hat hit the back of his head and the warmth of one’s breath over his neck, he pulled away from the grasp. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz turned around to the cowboy now standing dumbfounded with a rather disappointed look on his face. The look of shock immediately spread across his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’m real sorry. I got a little too into it…” After Tennessee finished talking, he tried to rush past Chaz and out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Chaz put his arm in his way, stopping the figure in his place. “Wait, where are you going?” Chaz questioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz’s deep and monotone voice froze Tennessee in place. “I… I don’t know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well let’s talk. I just want to tell you that you shouldn’t feel bad for trying and that I don’t hate you,” Chaz paused to hand Tennessee his gun before stepping closer to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you don’t? I’m not really understandin’, Chaz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, what I mean is that it's my fault for sending the wrong signals to you. I flirted with you even after I told you I was in a relationship. Heh… it’s my personality that gets me into more trouble than I would like. However, I have a lot of respect and love for Sly to know not to have others trespass the boundary he expects from me. I’m sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s still my fault fo-“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it isn’t. You like me and I understand that. You’re a good guy and someone will be lucky to have you with them, but you and I could never have anything… actually we never had anything if you wanna be technical. I’m flattered and know I would’ve loved being with you but someone has my heart wrapped around his finger.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee nodded his head and gave Chaz a reassuring smirk. “I know… Hey, you’re somethin’ special, Chaz. It’s cruel that you were put on this Earth after me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Truly, but this whole heat thing isn’t really for my kind so I doubt we still ever would’ve met.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A boy can wish. Say, .how ‘bout we get back to that hideout? Maybe practice a few more shots?” Tennessee smirked after he asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz chuckled before he said, “You gonna try to kiss me on our way there?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not… Unless?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A for effort, cowboy. But do keep trying.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With one last shared laugh and a lesson learnt, they made their way out of the vault. Their walk back to the town was one filled with joy. They shared stories about their life and laughed at each other’s jokes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My quickest relationship was with a guy back in Venice. It lasted like a day or two. Sly and I were stealing blueprints to bust a crazy old dude and the guy I was seeing was right outside the shop with someone pinned against the wall. It was terrible,” Chaz said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Darn, I would’ve been fumin’! My quickest was with this lady at a Bar. I asked her out and she was hollerin’ to the moon with excitement! I go to the bathroom and when I return, get this, she was with another man! That was a record if I ever saw one,” Tennessee added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pfft, wow, you sure she wasn’t drunk?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I was too! That’s why I thought we clicked!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two started laughing hysterically as they continued their stroll. The sun was still out but had only a few more hours of light left. The desert breeze started to pick up and the shadows of mountains crept back into hiding. The heat was still prominent and distorted the environment from a distance, yet it was oddly cool. Chaz was having the best time talking to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-In the future there are these places like a saloon but it has flashing, colorful lights, music, and some of the funnest people you will ever… Ever…?” Chaz paused for a moment. His gaze caught something in the distance. Behind an orange colored boulder in the ground was something that appeared to be looking at him. It was a white spec at first but he could make out some features on the thing like a tail and it’s ears, but it only appeared for a second before disappearing. “Hmm, strange.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee stopped with him and looked back. “Ya see something?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Chaz answered, he peered one last time. “I thought I did. Maybe I’m losing my mind again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really are not cut out for the heat! It’s messin’ ya up ten different ways from Sunday!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… Sorry if I seemed paranoid. I just had a weird intuition.” </span>
</p><p><span>Their stroll continued on as they attempted to beat the clock. Eventually they found their way back to the town and all seemed to be normal until a closer observation. Further in they noticed a group of guards huddled around a desert wagon. From first glance, it seemed to be that they were escorting someone. The two didn’t pay much mind to it and kept to their own. They were ready to continue heading heck </span>until they heard a voice yell out something. </p><p>
  <span>“LET GO OF ME YOU DIRTY, STINKING, COWS!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scream made Chaz freeze mid step and it sent a chill down his spine.<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee didn’t notice until he was a few steps ahead and when he did, he turned to face him to ask, </span>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without saying a word, Chaz sprinted off back towards the sound of the scream. Tennessee tried screaming out for him but he didn’t listen. He climbed up the side of an old saloon that overlooked the group of guards and swiftly took out his binocucom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The horror washed over him after he put the face to the familiar voice that screamed out. The blue hair, orange fur, blue jeans and crop top. It only belonged to one person. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Carmelita!” </span>
</p><p> </p>
<h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 15</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! I can’t think straight!” Chaz said as he ran around the roof in circles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee finally caught up to Chaz who then ran off and left him alone again. At first glance Chaz was incredibly nervous and he had not a clue as to why. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chaz? Chaz?!” he tried to yell out but was ignored in the process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t getting anywhere with the panicking fox and decided to look over the building to see what exactly sent him into this frenzy. He didn’t know what was about it, but the guards were taking away just another prisoner. The prisoner wasn’t bad looking either. Tennessee whistled out, unable to stop staring her down from the building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go tellin’ me your rootin’ for the other side now! I still want a date!” Tennessee jokingly said as he continued to stare down. He looked over to see if Chaz was laughing, yet he was still freaking out, this time scrambling in his bag for something. “Say, why are you so caught up on this girl anywho? I mean she’s mighty fine but I didn’t think you would be this persistent seeing as-?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz shot up from his slouched position and looked over at Tennessee. “NO! THAT’S NOT IT! That person down there is from my timeline, but she didn’t come here with us!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I get it… Well partner, let’s go get her back! Can’t have these pretty foxes gettin’ hurt now! No tellin’ what ol’ Toothpick plannin’!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you’re right. The gang can’t get here in time... Can you please help me?” Chaz asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well sure! Follow me, I know this place like the back of a horse hoof!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz followed Tennessee all the way to where Carmelita was dragged off by Toothpicks’ guards. She was quickly thrown into a Desert Wagon and started being hauled off into the distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! There’s no way we’ll get them on foot!” Chaz exclaimed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee knew their time was limited and swiftly scanned his surroundings for anything he could use. The cacti, sand, cow skulls and snakes weren’t going to prove to be any use but the rails following the path of the haul would. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say, Chaz, I know you and Sly read that fancy dancy book of the family. You ever heard of my little technique called the ‘rail slide?’” Tennessee questioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe so… Why?” Chaz responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s your lucky day, darlin’! Lesson two from me is gonna be rail slidin’! It gotta be quick though so listen up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He quickly explained to Chaz the secret behind his technique. Chaz caught on right away and was ready to use his newly taught skill to rescue Carmelita. Once ready, they each got on one side of the railing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s all in the feet, darlin’! Now come on,” Tennessee took off on the rail at high speeds almost instantaneously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz, still a bit wary, took a few steps back to run forward and do the same. He positioned himself just as taught and sensed the metal under his feet turn into what felt like ice. He did his best to keep his balance as he slid down the railing with enough speed to blow his fur back in the wind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh, I’m gonna die!” Chaz screamed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you ain’t! I’m a good teacher so just think back to the lesson!” Tennessee responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two gained enough speed to catch up to the wagon driving off into the open desert. Now that they were close, it was time to take it out. Tennessee took his gun out and lined up his shot so that it would hit the wheels to the wagon, hopefully stopping it along the way. The guards soon caught on and Chaz was assigned to take care of them while Tennessee did the shooting. The two were a dream team and together they cleared the path following the wagon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenneesee landed enough shots to take out both wheels on the side of the wagon, sending it crashing down and causing the wood under it to break. The driver of the wagon hopped from his seat and tried searching for his weapon in a last ditch effort to fend off the attackers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz used his staff to tap on the back of the guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guard dreadfully turned around to the face of two unhappy attackers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, bud!” Chaz said before hitting the guard and knocking him unconscious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, the real scary part was what laid dormant inside the wagon. A beast foretold in modern Cooper Gang folktale. The one that shocks and drags her prey off into the shackles called the law! The boots that stomped on many and still hungers for more! The one that makes it known she is there. It’s none other than… Carmelita!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz hesitated to open the back door to the wagon, knowing all too well what was inside. “You might want to step back Tennessee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slowly opened the door and not even milliseconds to him doing so, Carmelita jumped out from the Wagon, attempting to kick anything that stood in her radius. Chaz was lucky enough to dodge back in time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Carmelita! Wait! It’s me, Chaz!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita’s kicking fit slowly died down and she looked over at Chaz with wide eyes. Once calm enough, Chaz stepped forward and took the cloth out from her mouth and undid the rope keeping her hostage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chaz?! Dios mío… What in all that is holy are you doing here!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Chaz could even answer he was pushed out of the way by Tennessee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee tipped his hat before saying, “Pleased to meet you ma’am! Why I’m Tennessee Kid Co-“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita interrupted him and stuck out her finger before yelling, “Don’t even TELL me! You’re a Cooper, right?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well yes ma’am! Chaz here told me-“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“STOP CALLING ME MA’AM! The name’s Inspector Fox! And you!” Carmelita paused to push Tennessee out of her way to get to Chaz now cowering behind him. “You have some BIG explaining to do! You’re lucky I don’t knock you one!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz exhaled out. “I… I know. Listen, it isn’t safe here. They’ll be sending in reinforcements to this area any minute now. Can you follow me back to the hideout so I can explain everything to you? You deserve it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I! Well… Yes! I do deserve it! Get me out of this heat! I’m losin’ it!” she continued with the anger still carrying through in her pitch. Chaz proceeded to lead her back to the hideout all while she cursed out several things in Spanish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee strayed a few feet behind and couldn’t help but take notice of the two beauty’s in front of him. It was like heaven on earth for him right now. The sight he saw bouncing from both behinds of the foxes were more beautiful than any piece of gold has ever been to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Putting his hat to his chest, he prayed, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Dear lord, let me get one! And heck, since I’ve been a good guy, why not both? I won’t ever steal again if you do!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group made it back to the hideout and before going in, Chaz stepped to the side to call in Sly, “Sly. Sly, pick up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the only one who can wake me from a nap happy… in more than one way,” Sly responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up and listen to me. Carmelita is here. Tell the others to get ready and to not freak out. We have some explaining to do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry… Who did you say was here now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Carmelita,” Chaz calmly responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So the funny joke is going to be Tennessee dressed up in her clothes. I gotta see this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sly, I’m being serious. You know what, since you want to be annoying, here,” Chaz paused and took the device from his ear and held it in his hand. “Carmelita, will you do the honor?“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“SLY COOPER! JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET IN THERE AND RIP THE HEAD CLEAN OFF YOU-“ Chaz retracted his hand back from the rampaging Carmelita and put it back in his ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So do you believe me?” Chaz continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come in!” Sly responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gang let down the ladder leading into the Clocktower and the three soon joined in. Chaz was the first to step in and immediately saw the other three hiding in the corner of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, cut it out. Come over here so we can figure out what is going on,” Chaz said in a strict, monotone voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One by one they came out of hiding with Sly being the last. Immediately Sly took cover behind Chaz and waved with a smile through fear. Carmelita only grew angrier and angrier, looking as if she was about to pop a vein with how her face shriveled up. Every muscle in her body told her to take out her shock pistol and zap the Ringtail from existence, yet after noticing the serious look Chaz gave to Sly, she calmed down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why is he always so calm around me?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Carmelita thought to herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone, take a seat! We have to get this story straight so we really know what we’re dealing with. I know there’s tension but we won’t solve the problem we’re all involved in without discussing. Bentley, if you can, start asking the questions,” Chaz announced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone followed through and gathered at the meeting table. Before they were to figure out anything, Carmelita explained how she got caught up in the whole time travel mess. She told the gang about her investigation into the stolen antiques back in Paris. She knew her lead was in the museum and was ready to take advantage of her lead, but Chaz and Sly went home early. She was forced to take matters into her own hands and return after hours alone to inspect what was going on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And just as I did so I ran into the two-faced Ringtail too chicken to even look in my direction! I should’ve known you two were lying to me! You’re both nothing but no good thieves who hold no respect for others!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly looked to Chaz to fix the situation but he stayed quiet and kept his head down. Sly noticed he looked extremely upset and wanted to ask why but Carmelita continued on with her story. All while she was talking, he stared at Chaz who looked to have tears forming down his face. He wanted to say something, anything to try and cheer him up, but he couldn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so Carmelita told the rest of the story of what happened that fateful night. After the escape of the Cooper Gang, she decided to continue on with her task and explore the museum. She followed leads all the way back to where the stolen artifacts were being held, and to her surprise, the boss was present. The one behind this all was no other than Cyrille Le Paradox, owner of the museum. He and his henchmen were still hauling in his stolen art pieces when Carmelita waltz into it at the wrong time. He ordered his henchmen to take her away and before she knew it she was standing in a desert with none other than Toothpick looking to arrest her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In an attempt to try and resolve the tension, Sly stood up from his seat to speak. “Listen Carmelita, I know this looks very bad on our side but we have a reason why we’re here. Cyrille is using time travel to erase my family history and has several major criminals working for him! We’re trying to stop hi-“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to hear it!” Carmelita interrupted him. “You and Chaz are nothing back dirty backstabbers! I saved you just for you to do this to me! If you were there with me we could’ve taken him down but no, now we’re here and now we’re stuck!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now hey, Miss Fox, I understand the situation looks grim but you got it all wrong. Now I don’t know what happened between you, Sly, and Chaz here but I know there’s somethin’ missin’. Chaz here went runnin’ the minute he heard you yellin’ and was risking his life to rescue you. You at least owe them, if not Sly then Chaz, the time to explain,” Tennessee added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita looked over at Tennessee but remained quiet. Taking a deep breath in, she turned back to face the two on the other end of the table. She was caught off guard after realizing Chaz balled up with his head against his knees with Sly rubbing his shoulder, trying to get his attention. That same feeling from the night of the vault…  Pity. Seeing Chaz so out of character almost hurt her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was mad, but she realized that she really didn’t hear their side of the story. “I apologize for getting off track. That’s all I have to say to my story. Hope it helps, Bentley.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley was typing in his laptop before he looked up at the others. “Thank you, Carmelita. There’s nothing we can do now seeing as it’s night and guard patrol has increased drastically. I recommend everyone get some rest and be prepared for the morning. I’ll have the plans ready by then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good, Bentley,” Murray started. “Hey Tennessee, you said you were gonna show me how to make some chili wedges. You mind if we go do that? I’m starving.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well sure, partner. You got this stuff for it?”  Tennessee replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure do, let’s go!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One by one, everyone left the room until there were only three. Carmelita, Sly, and Chaz were still in their seats, completely silent for several moments after. The awkward silence only intensified while Carmelita and Sly watched Chaz barely move in his position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita felt the guilt crawling up her back and decided to finally speak out. “Chaz, pick your head up. You told me we would talk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he remained still. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly stood from his chair and kneeled down in order to look up at Chaz through his legs. “Hey, come on, please. You need this,” after no sign of moving, Sly decided to place his hand under Chaz’s chin and lift his head up. Chaz was forced to stare into Sly’s eyes as he continued. “I’m sorry. I know this has been bothering you for a while and I should’ve never put it off or even have thought that it was fixed. Don’t stay sad,”  he said before taking Chaz into a hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita was shocked at how close the two were. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait… are they…?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” she thought to herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz finally moved and let out an audible sigh. He slowly lifted his head off from Sly and gazed over at Carmelita with an upset look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took one last deep breath in before starting to talk. “Carmelita, I’m sorry for what we did back to you in Paris. I wanted to tell you from the beginning but we didn’t know how to do so. You risked your reputation to protect us and not only that, you helped us out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita stared intently at Chaz without saying a word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To start our story, I found out Sly never had insomnia shortly after we started the job. He only faked it so you wouldn’t take us to jail. I didn’t know about his plan but he did it to protect me. I was furious, but at the end of the day I couldn’t stay mad. His best intention was for me and it worked. But then that left you,” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly continually rubbed Chaz back as he took another moment to breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am so thankful for what you did for us. You risked so much to keep us safe and I am forever grateful but I was miserable. I was sick of working at the job and hiding who I was. I wanted my fun, exciting life back. I wanted to see my friends. I wanted to venture out. To explore my love.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“.</span>
  <em>
    <span>..love</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”  Carmelita thought again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t have any good way of telling you. What would happen if the office found out? I kept you in the back of my mind and for you to find out this way destroyed me inside. You helped me so many times and I feel like I owe my life to you. I wouldn’t even want to see you hurt when you tried so hard to protect me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz paused and took a moment to glance at Sly with a slight smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two have helped so much in my life and I am forever grateful to have met a wonderful man such as you,” he said as he rubbed Sly’s chin with the palm of his hand. “And such a wonderful friend like you, Carmelita. I feel like absolute dirt whenever you two hurt because of me. I don’t deserve either of you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart and soul was poured out from him. He felt worthless, disgraceful, and empty inside. That familiar feeling returned. Numb. It started in his arms and steadily flowed into his body as if his veins were being cleaned through with water. Before it could take over, he felt something wrap around his person. He came back to reality and noticed it was Carmelita, slowly increasing her grip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her embrace was warm, tight, yet it didn’t hurt. It was as if Chaz was being cradled. And before he could relax into it, his ears perked up to the sound of a voice right behind his head. He tried to turn but the blue, thick hair got in his way. So instead he waited while the world around him went silent. The words he didn’t expect to hear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I forgive you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>💨🍋</p><p>Do with that as you will.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 16</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>A teary eyed Chaz left the room to sit outside on the clocktower. The night had little to offer but helped calm him down so much. The moon casted its pale light upon the town still filled with patrolling guards. Tumbleweeds were carried by the night breeze and hopped along the dry desert floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“She forgave me,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Chaz thought. The thoughts that kept him up through countless nights started to vanish. It was a warm feeling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While distracted, the clock door opened with a loud creak to it and out came Carmelita. Chaz was astonished at first and swiftly turned his head to hide his face. Using his shirt, he wiped any tears he had left in his eyes and cleaned off his face while he tried his best to look normal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita sat beside him before saying, “What are you doing out here by yourself? It’s freezing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz hesitated for a few moments before responding with, “I like the cold. It reminds me of home and calms me down.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz kicked his legs over the edge and continued to stare out into the distance. “How’s Sly doing? I didn’t get to check up on him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said he’s fine. How are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz chuckled and shook his head. “I’m fine. You really didn’t have to check on me. I just needed time to think.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita joined him in his laugh. “Please. After finding out I’m stuck with more than one Cooper I needed time to think as well… though that Tennessee guy is really charming compared to Sly. Speaking of the Ringtail, I noticed you two got really close over the months.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hah, yeah… we did. I guess I forgot to tell you but ah… him and I are kinda a thing now. It happened back in China. Can you believe that guy had a crush on me for like two and a half years and didn’t tell me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like him... He treats you well, right?“ </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He does… the best anyone ever has actually. I’m happy to be with him. I never felt, well, so whole until I met him. That guy made me realize things about myself I never would’ve known… I hope that doesn’t change anything between us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t. It really isn’t any of my business anyways. Now that I’m thinking of it, I’m happy to have the Ringtail off my back and… I’m even happier to know you’re doing well. You deserve it Chaz.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz smiled at Carmelita who returned it back to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knock, knock,” a voice called out. The door opened once again and out came Sly. “Hey. You mind if I make a guest appearance?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Sly,” Chaz said before patting the spot next to him with his hand. “Come here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly sat besides Chaz and rested his head in his shoulder. “What are you two doing out here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were talking. Say, I think you still owe Carmelita an apology,” Chaz responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A lot of things, Sly but let’s focus on the Paris incident at first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly took his head off from Chaz’s shoulders and looked over at Carmelita who had Medusa’s gaze. He gulped before telling her, “Hey, uh I’m sorry for everything that happened back in Paris. I was just doing what I thought was best for Chaz.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita snarled and turned her head away from Cooper. “You’re lucky Chaz here is so charming because I wouldn’t have accepted otherwise. Treat ‘em well, Cooper. There’s not many like him out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is pretty great, isn’t he?” Sly added. He cuddled up close to Chaz and tickled him slightly, making him laugh. Chaz tried to fight off Sly but he wasn’t giving up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita peeked over at the scene and couldn’t help but smile. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>They’re cute together</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, enough, Sly!” Chaz pleaded through his fit of laughter until Sly stopped. “Thank you! Now I don’t know about you guys, but I’m getting tired.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has been a long, eventful, Cooper-filled day. Let’s hope my nightmares about this don’t throw me back into therapy,” Carmelita said before standing up. “Goodnight, Chaz! And Sly I suppose.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight Carmelita!” Chaz responded. The door leading into the clock tower shut behind them and left the two by themselves. “I’m glad that’s fixed. What do you say we get some sleep as well?” Chaz was getting ready to stand up before he was pulled back down by his arm. Confused, he turned his head over to Sly who was sporting a wide smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually I had some different plans in mind…” Sly took Chaz’s hand and placed it onto his crotch. “I know you had a little problem this morning about the ‘heat’ getting to you. How about we fix it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz looked up with a shocked expression from not only the unexpectedness of the moment, but how hard Sly was. “I’d really just like to forget about this morning and-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly put a finger over Chaz’s mouth. “Shhh, there’s no need to brush the problem under the rug. I’m here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sly, for all I know I wasn’t even conscious. I could’ve had like a heat stroke or somethi-“  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So your body was asking for me then? Even better.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz wasn’t getting anywhere with Sly and had to think of a plan to distract him long enough to forget. He wasn’t opposed to the idea but at the same time he was incredibly tired after the day he’s been through. Plus he  wasn’t going to fall victim so easily to Sly’s seduction, even if he did feel like he could relieve some stress himself. He had to think. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, let me head inside and…lock myself inside the van!” Chaz shot up from his position and sprinted off back into the clocktower. He heard Sly yell out his name with the sound of footsteps following not far behind. If he could make it downstairs and to the van, he could lock himself in and spend a night in the cold comforts of the AC. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was already down the stairs when the footsteps came to a stop. However, he didn’t look back, because if there’s one thing horror movies taught him, it was to never look back. He opened the door which would lead out of the clocktower and took one step out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Going somewhere?” a voice said from around the corner. Chaz turned his face and saw Sly twirling the key to the van around his finger with the same grin on his face. “I believe you need this. Are you up to earn it?” Sly stepped in front of Chaz and pushed him back onto the wall with his own body. He put an arm onto the wall, blocking Chaz from running off any further. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me the keys! I don’t want to play games with you,” Chaz demanded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me think,” Sly leaned forward and took Chaz into a kiss. He used his tongue to explore the smaller figures mouth, making him moan out in the process. Sly’s other hand traveled up Chaz’s shirt to play with his sensitive chest. He departed from Chaz and began to kiss the jawline of Chaz before going to his neck, leaving his marks along there as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly heard the buckle to his pants being fiddled with and stopped his barrage of kisses. “A change of mind?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I appreciate the enthusiasm but,” Sly swept Chaz off his feet and held him bridal style. “I’m taking the lead tonight. You just sit back and enjoy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly carried Chaz to the van and opened the doors to the back of it. He gently placed Chaz onto the air mattress set from the night before. With no hesitation, he got back to roaming the body of Chaz, all while stripping off every piece of clothing until he was just left with underwear with a print in it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that doesn’t match that attitude from before,” Sly said seductively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz put his hands over his face and hid his flustered self. “I wasn’t in the mood then.” </span>
</p><p>“Sure you weren’t.” </p><p>
  <span>Sly leaned over and planted a single kiss onto Chaz’s lips before he traveled down to his chest, soon lapping his tongue over the white fur. He then trailed his tongue down, planting kisses along the way until he reached his waist. Using both hands, he slid down Chaz’s underwear, revealing his erect member. He was ready for the fun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly he put Chaz’s member into his mouth and did his best to work his tongue around it. The shudder he felt from the smaller figure almost made him laugh. While bobbing his head up and down, he kept his eyes onto the quivering figure above. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sly…” Chaz moaned out. He knew right away that he wasn’t going to last long if Sly kept his action up, but he knew Sly all too well to know he would end it this shortly. He felt the warmth that once engulfed his member leave, letting the breeze hit the soaked skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly stripped himself of his clothing as well and crawled his way up to Chaz. Sly positioned himself on Chaz so that he was towering over his head with his knees holding him up on both sides of the bed. His erect member was right over Chaz’s face, hovering over it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he continued, Sly put his hand over Chaz’s cheek and put his thumb into his mouth, hooking him as if he were a fish. “You’re adorable when you’re submissive.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz had no clue what was going on with Sly but he was too into it to stop. The thumb left his mouth and Sly’s tip was placed onto Chaz’s lips. He knew exactly what Sly wanted and so he complied. He opened his mouth and let Sly slide his member into it. He coated it with his saliva and bobbed his head to please Sly who was already creating his own rhythm. Sly slowly slid in and out while grunting deeply. He pushed his member to the back of Chaz’s throat before sliding back out, repeating this action several times until his breath quickened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was odd seeing Sly take over this much. Chaz knew he wasn’t one to do all the work, yet to just be the one to follow Sly’s pace was unusual, but not unwelcome. In all honesty, Chaz thought it was kind of exciting. It made him question what was to happen next. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He braced himself for another thrust but it didn’t follow through. Sly instead backed away from Chaz, allowing him to catch his breath in the process. While Sly moved away for the moment, Chaz took the time to wipe any excess saliva that built up around his mouth. It was a brief wait however as he was soon flipped around so that his stomach was on the bed this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you-“ A warm body pressed against his and felt a slick, gel like substance run down his bottom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really need to ask that? Now, you don’t want the others hearing you, right? You think you can keep it down for me?” Sly said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz could sense his face warming up from something pressing against him. Sly slowly pushed in and Chaz bit down on his pillow, expecting to feel a bit more pain but luckily he was prepped well. With no time left in between the action, he was being filled by the taller figure and could feel it sliding through inside him. And just as he thought the pain was going to be all he felt, Sly pressed right against his prostate. A spark of satisfaction shot up through him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His body melted and everything went weak. The butterflies in his stomach flew to new heights. His face was burning. His eyes closed shut. His head dropped to the bed and once more he bit hard into the pillow under him to contain himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love it when you go crazy like that,” was all Chaz heard from above before that same spot was pressed against once again. “You can get a bit louder for me...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… can’t… Ah!” Chaz felt another shot of pleasure crawl up his spine and tickle the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s like his whole body was responding to Sly’s extremely sexy dominant side. His tail even had a mind of its own and was swaying back and forth, brushing past Sly in the process. He never had that happen before. Just as he thought it couldn’t get any better, Sly grabbed onto it, forcing it to stay still and using it as a grip to better position himself. Chaz felt like his body was going to give out and the only thing holding it in place was Sly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pwease keep going!” Chaz pleaded into his pillow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly obliged and picked up his speed. He couldn’t contain his own pleasure as well and moaned out loudly alongside Chaz. Several minutes passed and came closer and closer to the edge until it was only a matter of time before one of them finished first. Yet from the looks of it, it was going to be Sly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly hissed out between his teeth and closed his eyes. “Chaz, I’m close. Oh…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz’s face was still buried into his pillow and didn’t catch a single word said from Sly, the only thing he could feel was the action sending him into a frenzy slow down and something warm spreading inside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A couple of thrusts later and Sly felt his member pulse from within Chaz and the sensation flowed through his lower half. He took himself out of Chaz and finished right onto Chaz’s back, painting it with his own. The sticky, white web blended right into Chaz’s fur, making it incredibly hard to see. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly was in the action of catching his breath before he realized he didn’t hear Chaz say anything. He instead was lying on his side with his legs to his chest, looking extremely love struck. His tail swayed back and forth on the bed. Sly found it cute to see his Chaz that way, but then he noticed something else. Chaz’s member was still erect and he didn’t recall if he came.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you didn’t finish?” Sly asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz, who remained still while laying on his side, groaned out. “Hah... I… I-It’s fine…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really think I’m gonna let you get away with that around me? I’m keeping my reputation as your best boyfriend,” he said before spreading open Chaz’s legs and putting his head in between them. “Relax, Cotton Ball. I’ll handle it from here,” Sly finished and put his tongue at the base of Chaz’s member. Slowly, he went down onto it before it was fully in his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz arched his back and placed a hand onto Sly’s head, carefully guiding him as his head bobbed up and down. Chaz felt the tongue lap over his head constantly before his length was pushed back down Sly’s mouth. The warmth and feeling of brushing past the roof of Sly’s mouth made him shiver. It was like it was intensified ten fold all of the sudden. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz couldn’t contain himself anymore and instinctively pushed Sly’s head down to force as much as he could into the warm mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sly I can’t-“ he cried out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly was caught off guard and choked slightly on the length. Unable to breathe any longer, he took it out of his mouth and jerked Chaz, releasing his own seed onto his stomach with a bit landing on his own face. Chaz was completely worn and had no strength whatsoever. His toes were curled, his teeth chattered a bit, and he was panting loudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I can consider this a job well done,” all Sly got in response was unintelligible murmuring in which he responded, “Mhm. Anything else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ihh- cannnt fweel m… leg..s...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like music to my ears. You sound like you need a good night's rest. It is getting pretty late. Come on,” Sly put Chaz onto his side and got in position to spoon the smaller figure. “Big day ahead of us tomorrow! Hope those legs work in the morning!” Sly teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...screw...you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Did I hear ‘round 2‘?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...no...ooooo…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay. Let me know if you do.”</span>
</p>
<h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 17</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>New day, same scorching sun, but this time with an Operation to go along with it. The final act finally came where everything was put into place and all that was left was to take down the rampant, gunslinging Armadillo. Some of the gang were well rested, some were sore, yet everyone had the motivation to help reclaim Tennessee’s name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A naked Chaz opened the doors to the back of the van and immediately felt the shift in temperature. It slapped him like a warm oven mitt and made him want to scurry back to the coldness of the van. He groaned out and grabbed his backup clothes from his bag inside the van and began changing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a cute sight,” Sly said to Chaz. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you enjoy it. It would make it easier if I wasn’t sore but hey, that’s the perks of having a loving boyfriend, am I right?” Chaz responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I take art in my craftsmanship,” Sly said with a  smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well howdy there!” another voice added in, catching the two off guard. The figure came walking from around the side of the van to greet the two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz screamed and fell onto his back while putting on his pants. “Tennessee! Don’t look!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now why would I- HOLY sweet mama’s stuffing, it’s Christmas!” Tennessee couldn’t help but smile at the scene before him. He wanted to keep staring but he saw Chaz was getting ready to throw something at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go away!” Chaz screamed out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned around to hide his gleam perking up his warm cheeks. “So that’s what was makin’ all that hollerin’ last night?! I thought the coyotes were at it again!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard us?!” Chaz asked while he finished dressing up from inside the van. He turned to face Sly who awkwardly shrugged his shoulders in response. “I’m sorry if that kept you up!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be! Now that I know what it actually was, I should be grateful! You sure do sound cute, Chaz.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t he?” Sly added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz groaned loudly and dragged his hands down his face. “What do you want, Tennessee?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bentley sent me to come get ya two, but if you need some more time to wake up I can see what I can do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Absolutely not! We’ll be right there!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone, including Carmelita, was in the Clocktower at the planning table, hearing out Bentley’s plan for the operation. The goal of the operation was to get back Tennessee’s gold and bust Toothpick along the way. During yesterday’s missions, Bentley and Sly found out that Toothpick was planning to leave the town with all of the gold he took from the bank, basically sending it into anarchy. His escape method was his high powered train that stashed away all the glory. The gang needs to catch the train, steal back the gold, and take down Toothpick once and for all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As a group, the gang left the Clocktower with the van and prepared for the battle ahead. By the time they got to the city, the train was already on the tracks ready to go. They grouped up on a bridge overlooking the tracks and huddled one last time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s extremely important that we execute our side of the plans perfectly, okay everyone?” Bentley stated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can do, pal! I’ll get the van going!” Murray reassured before scurrying off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never thought I would be workin’ with criminals!” Carmelita added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz chuckled before saying, “Don’t worry, Carmelita. This is the part of the job where you take out all your anger onto the guards. It’s the reason why I’m still in my relationship.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, what he sa- Hey!” Sly responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whistle of a train played from the tunnel under them. The train was coming any second now. Chaz, Sly, and Tennessee stood by in order to jump off onto the first part of the train. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough jabberin’ and let’s rob this thing! Best of luck to y’all… and M’lady,” Tennessee said before tipping his hat towards Carmelita. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You too, cowboy,” Carmelita responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rattling noise of the train came out from the tunnel and was full speed ahead on the tracks. Everyone caught a glimpse of what they were working with and even saw the infamous Gangster Armadillo on board, screaming out in excitement while riding on the chimney. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good luck!” the others screamed out before Chaz, Sly, and Tennessee jumped onto the moving train, landing on the box car near the front of the train. If they followed the map correctly, the gold should be right underneath them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train continued to come out of the tunnel and the other three stood by for their turn. Carmelita and Bentley’s goal were to take care of any noisy guards and help secure the rest of the gold belonging to the town. Murray was the getaway driver, standing by for once the other three took back Tennessee’s goal and dealt with Toothpick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita and Bentley land on the flat train to begin their advancement through the train. The guards soon caught on and began firing off to try to defend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m really helping steal a bunch of gold,” Carmelita groaned out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really should think of it as correcting history,” Bentley said in an attempt to reassure her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carmelita held off the guards using her Shock Pistol while Bentley hacked into the computer to unlock the doors in the train. Waves of guards funneled in to try to stop the two but Carmelita made easy work of all of them. Eventually Bentley was able to get in and even lock the rest of the guards inside their own cabin, giving them the chance to take a breather. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright you three, you should be all set. Good luck out there,” Bentley announced over the radio. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Bentley,” Chaz confirmed before looking over at the two Coopers. “You two ready for some fun?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Sly said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I? I was born for this!” Tennessee added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two were both psyched up and ready to go. Sly went up ahead, unknowingly leaving the two behind. Tennessee was just about to race ahead to catch up, but Chaz grabbed onto his shoulders just in time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Tennessee, I got something for you,” Chaz said with a quiet voice. He took out an envelope from his pocket and held it out to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? You didn’t have to, Chaz,” Tennessee said as he hesitated to take it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, I really didn’t have to, and let’s just say what’s inside will get me into big trouble if anyone were to find out but… Hey, I love taking a risk sometimes. You’re a cool guy.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee questioned what Chaz meant as looked down at the envelope. It looked to be just like a plain envelope with nothing on it. No stamp, wording, pictures, nothing. So why would it get Chaz in trouble? Tennessee began tearing into it before he was suddenly stopped by Chaz. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not here! Just in case something happens and we have to make a quick get away, I wanted to give it to you so you can remember me. Open it after we’re gone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, okay then…” Tennessee said with a confused expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two coming or what?” Sly yelled out from behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’re coming!” Chaz yelled out before walking past Tennessee. As he did, he gave a wink to the man, only increasing his curiosity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tucked the envelope away into his pocket and followed the others. They soon split off into different sections of the train. Sly and Chaz went after Toothpick while Tennessee went after the gold. If their timing was correct, by the time they took down Toothpick was when Tennessee would make away with the gold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some time passed and Tennessee successfully made it to the section of the train with the gold stashed away. He alerted Murray and it took him no time for him to drive the van up to the passenger car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got the gold right here, partners!” Tennessee yelled out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Murray took a hand off the wheel to give Tennessee a thumbs up. “Nice job, Kid! Hand it off to Bentley so we can get the heck out of here!” The side of the van opened up and out came Bentley with one of his contraptions built to grab the stache of gold in the cart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley pressed down onto a button, sending a sort of plunger out through a launcher in his contraption. It flew over the distance and into the train, gripping right onto the wagon of gold inside. He retracted his invention and pulled it right out of the wagon and back into his invention. He cheered out and immediately took the gold back inside the van. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You Thieves always come up with something new,” Carmelita scolded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was time for Tennessee to meet up with Chaz and Sly in order to take down Toothpick. Using a pipe, he scaled around the train and to the other side in the cart before the engine room where Toothpick was hiding out at. Upon arriving at the location, he noticed Chaz and Sly weren’t there, but their target was. He figured the two were running behind but he couldn’t just miss his opportunity of busting Toothpick especially when he was caught off guard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you bring your little runt self down here and take your whuppin’ like a man, Sheriff!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toothpick spun sprung, anger immediately washing over his face after realizing who was standing before him. “Blast you, Tennessee Kid Cooper! I’ma gonna lock you in the deepest, darkest hole I got and I’ma throw away the key!” He yelled out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give it up, Toothpick! The fat lady has sung and you are done!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The anger that one shifted Toothpicks’ expression turned into a twisted grin. “Oh, am I?” Toothpick questioned. He watched with a devious smile as two Rat guards came zip lining down from the Blimp above to surprise Tennessee. They took no time in landing and restraining the Cowboy, making it easy for Toothpick to dash forward while rolled up into a ball and slam right into Tennessee, knocking the air from his chest and gun from his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My gun! No!” Tennessee exclaimed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz and Sly were just about to reach the engine room before they noticed a Blimp hovering over the sky. Chaz was utterly confused at what it might’ve been but Sly remembered all too clearly of what that was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly panicked and ran forward. “Chaz! Hurry up! Tennessee is in trouble!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? How do you know?!” Chaz said as he began sprinting forward with Sly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the same Blimp that belongs to the person who stole Rioichi’s cane!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fear took over Chaz. The two jumped from cart to cart until they were at the last one overlooking the scenario below. Tennessee was on the floor, grasping his stomach, while two rat guards surrounded him. One was holding his gun in hand all while Toothpick chortled from above another cart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hahahahaha! Thanks, Kid! Le Paradox sends his regards! Adios idiot!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two guards took a zip line back up to the blimp before the two could even react. There was no way they were going to get up to it, but they could still stop Toothpick if it’s the last thing they can do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz was the first to jump down to help Tennessee up. “Are you okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, but my gun is gone! I can’t believe I fell for his trap,” he said in a disappointed tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not your fault. Help the others get the rest of the gold and we’ll stop Toothpick.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Okay, can do. Be safe you two.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz and Sly simultaneously nodded their head and continued the chase after Toothpick. He led them all the way to the back of the train where there was nowhere else to run. They had him cornered off, but the two knew better than to think he wasn’t going to go on without a fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough running, Toothpick. We’re taking you down,” Chaz exclaimed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You Cooper Characters are the most annoying people I’ve ever met! It makes me just so… UPSET that you meddle this much!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, Toothpick. We’ll be out of your hair soon enough,” Sly reassured. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toothpick stomped his foot against the floor and cursed out. He took the lighter from his pocket, a crate filled with dynamite, and lit one by one to throw at the two. Explosive after explosive rattled the floor of the train and Sly and Chaz did their best to dodge the oncoming attack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A static noise in the ear picked up and Bentley’s voice soon played through to tell them, “Guys, look around for anything to turn on the train whistle! He absolutely hates them!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two bears Bentley as clear as a day and scanned the train for anything they could use. Sly soon caught a glimpse of a switch on the train which looked to be connected to the train whistle so he sprinted forward, dodging dynamite along the way, and pulled down on the rope. The train whistles let out a screeching noise that pierced the air around it, sending Toothpick over the edge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to stop his barrage to cover his ears from the noise, but it proved all too loud to avoid. He stumbled around until he fell over the railings on the high ground he held and screamed out, “Yowch! That hurt ma ears! Who turned on them BLASTED WHISTLES?!” he hollered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, something strange was happening to him. It seemed his frustration was making him grow in size, almost doubling his height from before. What used to be a man  thigh length to Sly and Chaz was now both of them stacked together. His shadow casted over them, engulfing them in his shade. Looking back at him, the veins on Toothpick pulsed, his fangs showed in his grin, his nose was bundled up and he was visibly shaking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz and Sly watched in horror as Toothpick looked to be preparing for another attack. The giant armadillo curled up into a ball and started bouncing in place like one, creating enough force to make the platform under them tremble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What in the actual-“ The two said at once before splitting apart in opposite directions to avoid getting crushed by the living projectile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was another game of dodge and scurry but instead of having the ability of being blown up into a thousand pieces, they could now be crushed instead. Their panic made it hard to focus and it was only a matter of time before they tired themselves out. Several threatening bounces of death later and Toothpick gave up. He unraveled himself from his ball form and stood tall, still boistering his unnatural size. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it! I’ma just gonna take care of you with my own two hands!” Toothpick seethed. He kicked off his mouth by taking the hat off his head and spinning in a circle. Ridiculous looking at first, it turned out his action was creating a sort of draft that sucked the two in like a sort of tornado. They slid on their own two feet towards the giant, slowly getting closer as he did so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, Sly, he’s pulling us in!” Chaz cautioned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly looked around for something, anything they can to at least stop them. Sly caught eye of a pole he could use to hook himself onto and hold onto Chaz as well. Using his cane, he did so and held out his hand to Chaz while the wind was being pulled towards the now living tornado. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chaz, grab on!” Sly blurted out as he held his hand out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz did his best to move through the suction, but it was proving all too difficult. He was going to be sucked in if he didn’t find a way. “Crap, crap, crap… Wait! My staff!”  he thought to himself. He pulled his staff from his holster and extended it out to Sly. Sly grabbed onto the pole with one hand and grasped it as hard as he could. Toothpick was spinning so fast that even the dirt and debris of broken wood from the explosions twirled around him as well. Chaz was lifted off his feet and was floating at one point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on!” Sly cried out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly but surely, the whirlwind died down. Toothpick’s actions became groggy and he stumbled around in place. It seemed that he was dizzy from all that spinning and could barely even stand in place. His fatigued state caused him to begin to shrink before he fell onto his bottom and tried to recuperate his surroundings. </span>
</p><p>An opportunity presented itself and the two ran forward with their weapons in hand. </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong Toothpick? Seeing stars?” Sly teased. </span>
</p><p>“Gotta watch out for the roadrunners!” Chaz added. </p><p>
  <span>All Toothpick could do was groan out. With no hesitation, Sly took a swing at Toothpick, knocking him back and into the furnace powering the train. Toothpick jumped up and down from the hot coal underneath his feet and cried out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now ya got me steamed!” He was eventually sucked in through the pipe in the furnace and shot out with the force of the built up pressure several feet into the air, all while he was screaming out. He flew high until he landed on another part of the plan, completely immobilized by his wounds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as if fate couldn’t be any better, out came Tennessee, all wrapped up with his mission. “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” Tennessee said as lifted Toothpick by the back of his shirt collar. “It looks like this here is our stop,” and kicked him off the train, sending him rolling through the dirt. He jumped off the train and rolled safely away from the tracks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The train itself was picking up a lot of speed. The Gang had no clue where it was heading, but now they had no idea on how to stop it from getting there. There seemed to be no way of stopping the thing from first glance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, we have a big problem!” Bentley said to the two through the radio. </span>
</p><p>Sly swung his cane over his shoulder and walked up to the control panel. “I think I just took care of that, Bentley,” he said. </p><p>
  <span>“No, Sly, the train - It’s heading for a broken bridge!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz’s eyes widened and his heart sank. “A what now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two have to get off that train! Jump to the van!” Bentley yelled out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two didn’t hesitate to run to the railings of the train and prepare for their jump. The Van was close enough to make the leap and so they crossed their hearts and prayed for the best. Sly landed on the train first and quickly spun around to help Chaz who didn’t have the best of luck. He pulled him up and onto the roof of the van. </span>
</p><p>Bentley heard the thud on the roof and turned his attention to Murray. “Murray, hit the brakes!” </p><p>
  <span>Murray tried multiple times but the brakes weren’t working. They were full speed ahead, looking to go right over the cliff. Panic struck everyone as the gap came closer and closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You idiots! You call this a plan?! I knew I should’ve had you send me back to Paris!” Carmelita added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennessee was staring ahead at the team van swerving in the distance, leaving a cloud of dust in its drive. “What in tarnation are they doin’?! Ack, whatever, they’re a weird bunch.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they were probably the best people he has ever met. He went through their faces one by one in his mind, until a certain Arctic Fox popped up in his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait a minute,” he said as he reached into his pocket to pull out the envelope. “Now what exactly did I get?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ripped the top layer of paper off and took out what seemed to be a photo. And just as he did, his heart skipped a beat and he felt his pants become a bit tighter. There was Chaz, sitting completely naked on a set of hay barrels with nothing but a Cowboy hat covering himself. On the bottom of the picture was an arrow which Tennessee followed to by flipping the image over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the back of the picture read, “To possibly my most favorite Cowboy ever. Although our adventure was short, it was amazing while it lasted. For teaching me how to shoot my first ever gun… then trying to kiss me afterwards… I’ll give you this in return. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the one who couldn’t but would if he could,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~ Chaz ♥”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tennesse chuckled as he examined the erotic photo. “Hoo boy, he knows how to tug on a heart! Sly, my boy, you got a keeper.” </span>
</p><p> </p><h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not gonna lie, I forgot it was Friday.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter 18</h1><p> </p><p>Chaz screamed from the top of his lungs, “WE’RE GONNA DIE!” </p><p>The van was completely out of control. Chaz and Sly were holding onto dear life as they were swayed back and forth from the movements of the van, and worse of all, they were going to go right over the edge. </p><p>“Bentley?!” Sly yelled out.</p><p>Bentley went through every possible scenario in his head to try to figure out a way from certain death, yet only one seemed probable. “Sorry Murray, this has to work!” </p><p>“Hey, my necklace!” Murray exclaimed.</p><p>Bentley put his necklace into the time travel holster and turned on the machine as fast as he could. He calculated for the machine to bring them to any point in history that the necklace originated from. Just as he did so, the van drove over the edge, looking to be falling into the void below. </p><p>“AHHHHHHHHH!” Everyone screamed out. </p><p>The Clock on the top of the van began to tick before circling around it, creating all sorts of technical noises. Everyone had their eyes closed and feared for the worse as they descended down into nothingness. The moment felt like it was lasting forever, yet the feeling of them falling soon disappeared and was replaced with what felt like them floating. One by one, everyone opened their eyes and looked out to the blue, spiraling void that they were now in. </p><p>Sly and Chaz were still struggling to hold on to the van. The suction of the wormhole felt like it was dragging them back, and who knows what would happen if they were sucked into it. </p><p>Chaz was losing his grip of the metal bars on the top van and felt his heart sink into his stomach. He couldn’t hold on any longer. His muscles were sore, his hands stung from the friction, and he was extremely tired from the heist before.</p><p>“Sly, I can’t hold on!” Chaz yelled out. </p><p>Sly saw each Chaz’s fingers come undone one by one from the railing and didn’t hesitate taking his hand off to grab onto Chaz’s wrist. As he did so, the portal that the van was traveling through started to glow a bright red and orange. Ignoring his surroundings, he continued to do his best to keep holding on, but his one arm along with him keeping hold of Chaz could only hold on for so long. His finger gave out as his arm followed through and before he knew it, his hand let go. The two screamed out as they were pulled through the void.</p><p>The two were tumbling through time until the sensation soon turned into that of falling once again. The two didn’t dare to open their eyes but instead held onto each other. Chaz’s head was buried into Sly’s chest while Sly put his head on Chaz’s. </p><p>“I love you,” Sly said.</p><p>“I love you too,” Chaz said back. </p><p>
  <em> POOMF! </em>
</p><p>Minutes passed. Silence. A breeze that pushed the trees rustled the leaves on it. The world felt empty. </p><p>Chaz didn’t want to open his eyes and so he began to talk to himself to calm him down. “I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m going to open my eyes now and see where they put me. I swear if I’m not in Heaven I’m going to scream. Wait… Why is Heaven so cold? Oh god I’m not in Heaven - Are you serious?! Did I really go to he-“ </p><p>“CHAZ GET OUT OF THE WAY!”</p><p>The voice that yelled out of him knocked him out from his little fantasy. His eyes shot open and he was facing upwards, looking into the light blue sky which had a giant van coming straight down from it. </p><p>After feeling his hand form into a fist and his legs twitch, he realized he wasn’t dead, and then realized there was a van coming straight from the sky to his way. </p><p>“THIS ISN’T HEAVEN!” he yelled out before swiftly standing up and jumping back into another pile of snow. </p><p>The van crashed landed right into the snow, creating a rectangular outline in it as it was buried through. The snow picked up and fell back down slowly, joining the smooth layer that stretched out miles beyond view. </p><p>Sly helped Chaz up onto his feet and the two took a long look at just where they were. It was a snowy tundra with several feet of snow stacked up. The trees in the distance had hints of green poking through the white blanket. Nearby cliffs had humongous icicles forming off the edges of it that formed down to make a deadly point. And what spooked the two the most, the shadow of a giant animal casted right over them before it appeared in their vision, and from the looks of the beast alone, it seemed that they were in Prehistoric times. </p><p>After some time of regrouping and trying to figure out just what was going on, the team eventually got a grip on the situation. The van was heavily damaged during the travel and the time machine was broken along the way. The worst of it all; they couldn’t get into contact with Dimitri. From first glance, the gang was stranded with no clue how to get out. </p><p>Although everyone was a bit down, Chaz was actually satisfied with the new environment. Of course he was upset with how everything turned out, but something about being back where ice and snow was who he was just brightened him up. His optimism was contagious to all but Carmelita who was right back to being mad at them. </p><p>She wasn’t impressed with how the plan turned out and how the gang was handling it. To her eyes, she was working with a band of misfits who figured out how to screw in a lightbulb and ran with the idea. Here and there, Sly went over to talk to her, offering her something to eat, drink, or just hang out with the gang, but he only got scolded in return. She eventually got so upset that she stormed off into the wilderness without a word. Sly was ready to go after her, but Chaz told him it was best to let her be. </p><p>The gang's next order of business was to find a place to settle. They eventually bunkered down in a cave not far from their crash site and was going to be their new base of operations. After managing to pull the snow through inches of snow, they hid it in the cave along with them. </p><p>Chaz got to work on everything they needed to survive. He started the fire, gathered resources from around, and found some food along the way. His natural instinct was kicking in and everyone was thoroughly impressed with how he was taking it. </p><p>Gathered around the campfire, the gang all huddled close and put their hands out to the flame to warm themselves. Chaz came around with blankets he pulled from the van and gave everyone their own. </p><p>“Chaz, you’re like totally zenned out! How are you doing it?” Murray questioned. </p><p>Chaz chuckled and sat besides Sly before saying, “The winter wilderness is like second nature to me.” </p><p>“How did that come to happen? You should tell us! I think we could all relax with a campfire story,” Bentley added. </p><p>Chaz paused for a moment to think. “If you say so. Now… Where do I begin…? Okay, to start off, my family is extremely in touch with nature and we treat it as if it was our religion. We believe that if you are to use your environment to your advantage, you must first know it like the back of your hand and be prepared for anything it may throw out to you.</p><p>“Basically, my bloodline is filled with spiritual people who are in touch with the world. And funny enough, my last name wouldn’t be Mardent if I didn’t adapt as well. I started off with my mom’s last name because women and children are seen as lower end in the family until they can earn ‘The Trust Of The Earth.’ My mother was allowed to venture with my father to pass down their name, but since I was born a male, I had to earn the name by myself. </p><p>“On my 14th birthday, I was sent out into the wilderness to begin the trials. I was terrified at first. The noises of the Wolves, the creaking of the trees in the blizzard wind, it all was overwhelming. So, to overcome it, I had to survive. I taught myself how to fend for myself and scavenge what I need and only when I heard the ‘Whisper Of The Trees’ may I be allowed to return, in which I did.” </p><p>Everyone was mesmerized. Bentley had his mouth open in awe, Murray had unchewed food in his open mouth, and Sly simply stared with curiosity. Chaz felt a bit odd to be telling such a personal story, but at the same time, it felt good to share his story. </p><p>Murray raised his hand like a child, looking as if he wanted to be called on. </p><p>“Yes, Murray?” Chaz said. </p><p>“What did the trees say to you…?” Murray questioned. </p><p>“The thing is that it’s different for everyone. And although this may sound corny, what I was told that day still resonates with me. I was told that, “Hardships chip away at you. It is unavoidable. Will you grow leaves to cover yourself or will you allow it to shed your outer being until you are most vulnerable but continue to grow until you tower over it? You can live with one choice over the other, but you won’t truly live unless you choose correctly.’” </p><p>“And I think you chose the right answer,” Sly said. </p><p>“I think so too. Too bad I did all that and still got kicked out from my family because I wouldn’t off a guy. It’s crazy how things turn out…Huh,” Chaz added, making the others laugh. </p><p>Sly was prepared to laugh, but he noticed Chaz’s attitude shift slightly after he finished. A frown formed on his face and he tilted his head down slightly. He decided not to make a big deal out of it in front of the others and scooted a bit closer to Chaz to put him under his blanket. </p><p>Chaz gave a half-smile and cuddled close to Sly, finding comfort in his warmth. “Thank you,” he quietly said. </p><p>Sly put his arm around Chaz and embraced him. “You’re welcome, Cottonball,” he quietly asked. </p><p>A couple hours passed and everyone was able to drift to sleep around the fire. The sizzling snap of the campfire made Chaz toss and turn. He felt himself heat up. His chest was heavy. His head pulsed with pain. He tossed and turned in his sleep until he woke up. </p><p>He scanned the room in a panicked daze until his head turned to the entrance of the cave. As he did, his heart sank with pure fear. He caught a glimpse of something in the distance staring right at him. It was white, had ears that pointed to the sky, a tail that swayed behind it, and the most noticeable feature was one of the eyes having a red dot glow in one of them. </p><p>Chaz’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He didn’t want to scream but instead of freaking out, he rubbed his eyes with both hands and as soon as he put down the fists he made to do so, the thing in the entrance was gone. A sigh of relief came from him and he shrugged it off as his vision playing games with him. </p><p>“<em> I’m 21 and still having nightmares. Come on…” </em>Chaz thought. He fixed the blanket and got comfortable back on the makeshift bed. As soon as he did, Sly, who was still asleep, put an arm over him and began to spoon him. Chaz couldn’t even get into a comfortable position before he was trapped. </p><p>“...haz… wear… underwear… I… bought… you…” Sly said in his sleep.</p><p>Chaz sighed. “<em>What is he on about? Weirdo… I guess it’s time to start counting sheep… or grab some melatonin from the van.” </em></p><p>The moon was out and the temperature felt like it was below freezing. The sounds of the night played out in the well lit cave. The wolves howled, the owls hooted, and the terrifying screech of the dinosaurs echoed in the distance. Stranded but not lost, they had each other to look forward to. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day for the gang. </p><p>…</p><p>“...report in…” </p><p>“0345… Four Cooper Gang members reported to be resting...one is awake.”</p><p>“So the night owl is up...Ugh… I guess he’s still with those idiots. Oh...It’s Bentley... Tsk. We could’ve made millions from our inventions if you weren’t brainwashed…” </p><p>“...1... files uploaded… standing by for next command…” </p><p>“Resume camouflage protocol, and focus on staying hidden. Chaz is a bit too observant for my liking.” </p><p> </p><h2>End of The Chapter</h2>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, hello, hello! \o</p><p>It’s been a while since I left a little authors note and I just wanted to say hey, I am alive and was not turned into a smut creating robot. This semester was rough and was honestly one of my hardest ones, but I got through it! Although I wasn’t interacting as much as I wanted in this site with comments or fixing up any errors that snuck past me in previous chapters, I’m here now and I’ll be able to get back to it. I hope y’all had a safe time and enjoyed the chapters so far. I’m here for any confusion or concerns. </p><p>Moving on, I want to share something with y’all, and for those who could really care less but want to know, there’s a TL;DR below the chunk of text. </p><p>So, that Sly 3 piece I didn’t think would do so well is still being looked at and I wanted to thank y’all for continuing to care about it! I wanted to say that I’m not the happiest with how it came out and it’s a bit too hard to read in my opinion, so I’ll be going through every single chapter and fixing up some things! The story itself won’t change drastically, but maybe some wording, scenes, and format. I’ll post a little “🔂” indicating it’s been updated because I’m not editing the authors notes. </p><p>Secondly, expect frequent uploads! I have the motivation to continue the story and write something that isn’t an essay about something awful! There will still be confirmed uploads on Friday but you’ll start seeing some surprise ones here and there. </p><p>Lastly, I wanted to start a new story aside from Sly. There are so many games I wanna add my own little twist to but I don’t know what. I wanna do Last of Us, Ratchet and Clank, Resident Evil, yet I can’t decide! But I have the itch to start a new adventure.</p><p> </p><p>Here’s the TL;DR, my lovely people. </p><p>- Sly 3 chapters reimagining<br/>- Possibility for frequent uploads<br/>- Maybe new story </p><p> </p><p>Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter. Be safe out there and stuff. </p><p>k bye o/</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <span>Chapter 19</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chaz was up bright and early before anyone else. He spent his morning gathering materials for the campfire so that the gang could wake up to the warmth of it. He picked out some berries from bushes he was familiar with, and he was quite surprised at the size of them, seeing as the Hawthorn berries were the size of grapes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s so beautiful out here,” Chaz said to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a moment to scale up a cliff looking out towards the land. The sun bounced off the pearl white snow, leaving a glistening trail in its path. The mountains in the distance looked humongous and were put into perspective when several Pterodactyl flew by them. The crunch of each step was soothing to his ear, and calmed him down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The closer he got back to base the more he noticed a shift in environment. Strange structures appeared throughout the area. What Chaz thought was just the empty remains of giant animals actually seemed to display some direct influence. Bones were sawed off, pathways appeared in a specific pattern, and eventually he found his first unusual sight. </span>
</p><p>A banner hung up from a contraption of bones was stuck into the snow. The flag itself was a fluorescent purple with what seemed to be a paw print in the middle of it. There was no way any animal could’ve made this, or even caveman if he wanted to speculate. Chaz took out his binocucom and snapped a picture of the banner. </p><p>
  <span>“We can’t be alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Chaz finished talking, something else in the distance caught his eye. A faint glow of a light was moving along the outline of snow. Chaz aimed his binocucom over to the direction and could point out the outlines of moving figures. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That answers my questions. I should head back,” Chaz put his binocucom back into his bag and slowly turned around. At the exact moment he felt his heart plummet and his skin almost run from his body. A giant man almost twice the size of Chaz was right behind him. What caught him off guard was how he was able to sneak up seeing as he’s literally a walking mass of muscle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” the figure said with a wave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WHATINTHEFLYINGWHATNOW?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz was petrified and stood as straight as a plank. A giant, brown furred, milky brown frontal fur, prehistoric person stood right in front of him. His canine teeth protruded from his mouth and came down to a sharp point right below his lip yet his face still held a smile. He held onto a wooden club with some sort of axe-like item tied onto it. It resembled something that Chaz couldn’t quite put his finger on. Now that he had to calm down, the frightening first encounter now turned to him warming up to the beast of a person who somehow snuck up behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Is it mean to think Sly looks like him?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Chaz questioned. “Um, hello. Just a little ice breaker here… you’re not gonna try to eat me or take me away to be your cave wife or something, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Errrg, no. Maybe. I hungry though. Me see you have berries.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you can talk… kinda. Uh, I was supposed to bring these back to my friends but here,” Chaz took a handful of berries from his pouch and handed them to the man. “For not killing me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The giant man shoved all the berries into his mouth, chewing with only a few bites before gulping everything down. Some juice ran down his cheek and dripped down onto the snow, staining it a light purple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good! You are good tiny rat. Very nice. Mean people around here that chase and poke me with sticks. I run after I see scary-sounding-glowing rock poof into air.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz raised his eyebrow. “Glowing rock? I don’t really have a clue on what to do but maybe I can get you somewhere safe? I have friends around here that can help. Wanna join along?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! You keep me safe and I keep you safe! You no leave my sight! Very good friends me and you,” the caveman responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds great, uh… Sorry, what’s your name?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Incompetent gibberish followed through and Chaz found it very difficult understanding him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well, I didn’t catch any of that, but that’s okay! Talking is hard sometimes. How do you feel about… Bob?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“B-oob?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s Bob. B-O-B.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bob! Bob good. And what is you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Chaz. It’s very nice to meet you Bob. Now follow me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two new friends strolled through the icy tundra, talking to the best of their ability. Gibberish often prevented the two from understanding one another. Chaz had to fill in the blanks on some things that were said and Bob gave very confused looks back to Chaz whenever he said something he didn’t understand. Chaz was patient however, knowing that this wasn’t exactly his time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Bob, you said earlier that people were trying to hurt you. Can you tell me who?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>An awkward pause came out from Bob. Chaz, confused as to why, simply stared at Bob who seemed to be looking at something in the distance. He turned to follow his gaze and eventually saw what caught his interest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Them!” Bob called out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A group of Sabertooth Tigers were making their way straight for the two. They were wielding giant boomerangs with a sharp curve and several spikes sticking out. Chaz could tell just from their faces alone that they weren’t going to be friendly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bob, these are the people?” Chaz asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahuh!” he responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group of guards caught up and stood before the two. Bob cowered behind Chaz who stood tall and proud against them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give us the Cooper Cane!” a guard called out.</span>
</p><p>“He doesn’t have to give you anything,” Chaz said back. </p><p>
  <span>“Our business isn’t with you. Move aside.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well actually, I was told you guys were picking on Bob. What exactly do you want from his ca- cane? Cane?!” Chaz spun around to face Bob who looked down at him with his own confused look. “Bob, you’re a Cooper?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me? Maybe, I forget when hungry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A guard stepped forward with his weapon in hand, holding it out to the two. “We don’t have time for this. Put ‘em out!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On his command, several guards arose from the snow around them with their own weapons in hand. The two found themselves surrounded with no means of escape. Chaz looked to see if there was a fighting chance, but they were too outnumbered to stand a chance. Frustrated but nervous, Chaz couldn’t think of any way out of this situation so he put his hands up into the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bob, surrender,” Chaz said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm? Why? We fight!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Bob, just surrender. We can’t risk anything right now,” Chaz said as he gave Bob a reassuring nod. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bob groaned before dropping his weapon onto the snow. As soon as he did, several guards ran forward, took the cane, and took their hands behind their back. The guards tied their hands together with some sort of man made bolas and started escorting them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guard who was tieing Chaz’s hand together chuckled before telling Chaz, “You made a smart choice, fox. Let’s see if Grizz can find something to do for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that’s who you work for?” Chaz asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s it to you? And hey, you don’t look like you’re from this time at all. Who are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re very observant. What gave it away? My sweater? Pants? Shoes?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That earned Chaz a shove to his back. He grunted and followed the pace of the guard all the way back to their operation. Just as Chaz thought, him and the gang definitely weren’t alone. He escorted through a village filled with countless guards. Mud huts with snow made up the homes, torches on long sticks lit the pathways, and wooden barrels of food were scattered throughout the area. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of which he’s seen before didn’t quite prepare him for the main building of the area. A giant ice sculpture of a Bear roaring out over the entrance was constructed high up top a structure made of pure ice. It was marvelous to see but also brought up a lot of questions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who does this belong to?” </span>
</p><p>Before Chaz could even process the situation at hand, his trip came to an end and he was thrown away into a cell made of thick wood with Bob getting his own right next to him. </p><p>
  <span>“You okay, Bob?” Chaz questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I okay. Why you give up, Chez?! We maybe fight!” Bob said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it’s probably the least ideal thing to do but we would’ve lost. Listen, I need you to stay calm and collected. Give me time and I’ll figure out our way out of here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay... I believe in you. You look smart.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m far from it compared to one of my friends but I can have some brain blasts of my own. Speaking of, let’s hope they catch onto my absence,” Chaz trailed off after remembering his raccoon back at the base for him. “Sly… He’s probably worried sick about me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back at the hideout, everyone was just waking up from their frozen slumber inside the cave. As they became slowly accustomed to the bright light of the fire, they noticed the stacks of wood, boxes of berries, and countless other supplies stacked against the corner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Food!” Murray screamed out before running over to the box. “Chaz is a dream come true!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley made his way over to the crates and examined the items carefully. “Amazing! Chaz sure does know what he’s doing out here… Speaking of, where is he?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly felt the empty spot next to his bed and soon questioned the same thing. “Hmm, I don’t know? You don’t think he’s still out gathering resources?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bentley rubbed his chin before saying, “Perhaps. Let’s go find him and bring him back so we can plan out just how the heck we’re gonna get out of here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly kicked his cane up from the ground and caught it with his hand. “Don’t worry about it guys, I’ll handle it. You just have yourself a feast the little Snow Angel provided us. I’ll thank him personally,” he said before walking out from the cave. </span>
</p><p>A trail of footsteps in the snow led out of the cave and into the open area ahead. A sigh of relief came out from Sly and he didn’t hesitate to begin following the track. </p><p>“Now where exactly did you go, Chaz?” Sly wandered the wilderness in search of Chaz. The cold breeze that carried snow sent chills up his spine. Each step he took brought snow inside his shoe that melted and soaked his foot. “I hate the cold,” he grunted. </p><p>
  <span>Sly trudged his way besides the line of footsteps indented into the snow. The crunch of the white fluff under him created his own path alongside it. While he did so, he also took the time to look around the area. Mountains and open fields stretched far beyond the view and countless prehistoric animals roamed the earth once more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon Chaz. Now I’m beginning to worry,” Sly said to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tracks continued on for what seemed like miles. There was no doubt Chaz was sight seeing as the tracks led to countless different viewpoints that offered a beautiful view of the land. After several minutes of following it, the tracks were joined along with something unusual. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A further inspection showed a giant footprint alongside Chaz’s footprints. The direction showed that the set seemed to be heading back to the base until it abruptly stopped. Sly felt his heart begin to pound against his chest after realizing yet another group of footprints that circled around the premises. From the looks of it, there were several people in the area at once and they traveled as a group into another path crossing a strange purple banner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly felt his gut twist and his face sink. His worry-driven thoughts hovered around in his head and all he could do was panic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swiftly brought his hand up to his ear to call in Bentley. “Bentley, I think something’s wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A long static noise carried through until a voice eventually picked up. “Huh? Sly? What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I think Chaz is in trouble. I was following his tracks when suddenly it stopped right outside this weird banner. I don’t think we’re alone here, pal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, okay! Sly, continue following those tracks and find out just where they lead. Take photos of anything you find but do not do anything risky! We can’t risk everyone getting separated now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright pal, I’m on it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several hours passed and Chaz woke up inside the same cage, yet the environment was completely different. From once being outside, he was now inside some sort of room of ice that was decorated with several art pieces and purple furniture. He was utterly confused as he scanned his surroundings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, hello there, friend! It’s about time you decided to open those eyes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz immediately turned to face the voice speaking out to him. To his surprise, a bear wearing a purple robe and bright red and gold crown was standing behind a long piece of leather tarp. A head peaked from around the corner of the sheet of leather and gave a cheeky smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t move a single muscle! I need to capture this!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz stared at the Bear who immediately got to work with slapping a paint brush against the canvas. Chaz watched intently as he was drawing, or attempting to in this instance, him in his cage. The anger didn’t take long to make an appearance and he immediately stood up and grasped the cage with both of his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?!” exclaimed Chaz.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused his paintbrush mid stroke and looked over before saying, “Hohoho, you got some nerves asking me who I am! Don’t be so nonchalant yourself, kid. You’re obviously not from this time. Tell me who you are and more importantly how you got here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz remained silent and sat back down in his cage. He knew there was no way he was going to get answers from the guy, especially with what looked to be an artist. He sadly knows all too much about the cocky attitude of the evil villain artist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No response it seems. Wait… Hoo haha! It can’t be…” the bear bursted out into laughter for a couple seconds before calming down to continue. “Oh, that’s priceless! Chaz is it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz’s eyes widened at the announcement of his name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it is! Penelope told me all about you! Boy, does she fancy you something fierce! How’s the gang buddy?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz was struck with shock. His mouth opened slightly, his fingers curled, his imagination ran. He was so taken back that he couldn’t even find the energy to get back up in his cage or raise his voice even.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you just say Penelope?” Chaz asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I sure did! Now don’t move, I want to draw that surprised look on your face!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Penelope. Never in a million years would Chaz think to hear that sort of name in a situation like this. What could he have possibly meant by it? Perhaps it was someone else? It seemed to be too good to be true but he would someone just throw out names like that, especially describing it as so? Chaz couldn’t process anything at the moment until a faint knock echoed from the door in the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, come in!” the bear called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A Rat guard dressed in a hazard suit slowly paced in before standing tall before the bear. “Just a reminder that Le Paradox requires that cane ASAP Grizz! Whatever business you have with the eggs needs to be focused on!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grizz rolled his eyes before responding with, “Don’t go bothering me about it! The dude is tied up and his cane is on his person! I’m just passing some time with a quick art session.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not concerned with what you do in your spare time. Get us that cane! He’ll be here shortly.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ALLLRIGHT! Jeez, get off my back! I’ll order the guards to get the cane. Give me twenty.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guard marched out of the room and closed the door behind him. Grizz, who looked rather upset, grabbed his staff from a shelf in his room. Chaz watched his actions closely and noticed his staff on the same shelf along with a set of keys next to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, bro, I’m outta here. I’ll be back later. The Grizz will finish what he started so don’t ruin the moment! Peace!” Grizz stated before he left through the doors. The sound of the door locking behind him was all Chaz heard before he was left in pure silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well this is great. I’m stuck in a stupid cage and of course I met another Cooper that’s about to get his cane taken away. You’re killing it, Chaz,” he said to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rested his arm on his leg and put his head into his hand before thinking deeply. He carefully examined everything. Every knick and cranny in the room was carefully looked over for anything he could use to get out and as if a holy light casted down from the heavens, his solution became clear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cage had a flaw inside of it. The lock looked extremely delicate and almost brittle. Chaz decided to kick it once which caused a piece of metal to fly out from it. He smirked and readied his leg once more, this time shattering the lock and kicking open the cage in the process. Although it wasn’t elegant, it worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did I think a prehistoric cage would be difficult to get out of…?” Chaz asked himself. He stood up and stretched his body before focusing on the task at hand; getting out. He walked over to a poorly made shelf and grabbed his belongings alongside a giant key that had a carving of a bear’s face on it. He stashed it away before sneaking out of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he stepped outside, he peaked around the door and saw a group of guards making their way down the pathway. “Yeah, that big, dumb raccoon thing is in some trap. Apparently the other guys can’t get a grip on him,” one of the guards said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we’re being ordered to help? Aw man, we don’t get paid enough for this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guards passed by and continued to what seemed to be a giant door. One of them took out a key identical to the one Chaz had and put it into the lock. The stones that acted as doors slid down into the ground, opening up the pathway for them to get to. After they made it through, the blocks slid back up and covered the path. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh,” Chaz paused to take the key out of his pocket to examine it. “Cool. Hang tight Bob, I’m coming.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He carefully made his way over to the door, being sure to not alert any of the guards in the process. Following the same path of the guards, he noticed a drastic change in the environment. What went from a nice, chilled breeze with snow to accompany it now turned into something that felt along the line of a sauna. The floor changed completely to hot concrete under his feet. The walls were layered with rocks and the air was dense. There was a heavy smell of sulfur and occasional loud, wet, popping sounds echoed throughout. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz walked over to the edge and it all made sense to him. He was inside a volcano and the guards made it part of their base. The room itself had a walkway that spiraled down to a middle platform which then used a bridge to connect over a ring of lava. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A giant net was spread across the middle platform and was surrounded by several guards poking at something in the middle. Chaz took out his binocucom and there was Bob, caught right under the net doing his best to protect his cane from the guards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a little longer, Bob,” Chaz thought. His goal was to reach the bridge leading to Bob, but the traps and guards were going to be a problem. It was nothing he hasn’t handled before, but now he couldn’t mess up at all especially with no backup. He treaded carefully and took out any guards blocking his way and avoiding the patrolling ones. The traps came easy to Chaz and he crossed them with no problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly knew he was getting closer to finding exactly where Chaz was. The tracks went through a village not far from the cave they stayed in. The tracks lead through the place and Sly followed them with the help of the high ground so he wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention. As he progressed through, he took several pictures of banners, huts, machines, and finally a giant ice palace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly stopped on top of a lookout tower and put his hand to his ear to call in. “Bentley, you seeing this? Someone has got to be calling the shots around this place.” </span>
</p><p>“It’s certainly something... I wonder if this has to do with that guy from before. Interesting… Any signs of Chaz yet?”</p><p>
  <span>“No, not yet- Wait, hold on-“ Sly zoomed in and saw a white fur figure in grey clothing sneaking out of the doors in the palace. Chaz followed the figure with his binocucom, trying to get a clear picture of who exactly it was. Whoever it was extremely quick. The figure eventually came to a stop outside of what looked to be a giant door and it became as clear as day who it was to Sly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is… Is that?” Bentley asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chaz! What is he doing here…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like he’s exploring the place… But why? Go follow him, Sly. We don’t need him getting in any trouble.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly agreed and hung up the call to follow Chaz. He tried to keep up with Chaz but he was going all too quick, and it seemed like he had his own intentions. Sly questioned his motives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>What does he want in a volcano?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly wanted to yell out for him but the guards would’ve noticed him if he did. In another attempt to get his attention, he tried ringing him in his earpiece but it looked like Chaz didn’t have one on him. Sly was flabbergasted as to why he was taking care of guards in his way but it looked as if he was making his way for the bridge. As soon as he made his way to it, he didn’t bother hiding himself anymore. Sly watched as he took out his staff and went on the offensive, clearing out the smaller guards on the bridge and making his way towards the platform in the middle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reinforcements came in through the doors and were running straight for the bridge and so Sly decided to step in. He jumped from his perch on high ground and blocked their path. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah uh, guys. I can’t let you do that,” he said before beginning the fight against the guards. He swiped at the guards and each dropped one by one, all while Chaz cleared any in his way. Sly eventually caught up to an area close enough to the bridge so that Chaz could hear him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chaz! Over here!” Sly yelled out, his voice carrying through in the volcano. </span>
</p><p>Chaz spun around and looked straight at Sly in the distance. He was completely shocked but relieved to see Sly again.</p><p>
  <span>“Sly?! What are you doing here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could ask you the same thing!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bob rustled from under the net restrained by the guards. “Chez! Help!” he cried out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz focused his attention to Bob and Sly noticed him do so. He took a closer look at the muscular figure under the net. Before he could even think of backing Chaz up, he was already taking out guards like nothing. They paved the way for the opportunity for Bob to break out from his net and as soon as he did so, he didn’t hesitate taking out his own fair share of guards.</span>
</p><p>“Yeah, go Bob!” Chaz cheered.</p><p>
  <span>After some fighting later, the scorching hot room fell quiet. Chaz and Bob cheered out over their own victory as Sly found his way over to the two. He walked up to the two and immediately made eye contact with Bob. The two stared into each other’s eyes, both looking rather curious as to what reminded the two of something personal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two have the same look when you space out. It’s cute,” Chaz said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh... Chaz, who exactly is our friend here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Chaz could even answer, Bentley called the two in. “Uh, hey Sly. Sorry to bother but I’ve found pulled up some files on our time period and I’ve discovered that we might be in the same moment of the first ever Cooper. I wonder if we’ll find him!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly chuckled before holding his hand to his ear to say, “Funny you say that, buddy. Look who we have here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sly took out his binocucom for Bentley to see in which he then responded with, “Wah, this is amazing! Give me a moment, I’m gonna run some comparison tests… Okay… facial features… fur length… tail volume… Yup, just as I thought! That cave raccoon must be him!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz laughed and patted Bob’s back. “I knew it from the first moment I saw you. I wish I could say I was good at it but I consider it a curse now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bob scratched his head with one finger. “Who this? Who he talking to? Is he mean?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha, no Bob. This is Sly. He’s my sometimes annoying boyfriend… if you even know what that is. He’s related to you!” Chaz said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! It’s nice to meet you, Bob!” Sly said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi. Hey Chez somebody took my stick. I like it lot and I’m sad it gone,” Bob stated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think I know who, Bob. I’m sorry to say this but we can’t get it back right now but if you want to follow us, we can work out how to do that. Do you want to meet my other friends?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. We go. I hungry anyways. Come on, Chez!” Bob said before lifting Chaz up and sitting him down on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaz was surprised by his strength but it was fun being high up. “Woah, okay! This is cool. Don’t drop me now, I don’t do well in lava! As a matter of fact… my fur looks terrible!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well we are in the middle of a volcano,” Sly added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then lead us out, handsome. I’ll enjoy the free ride while I can,” Chaz said back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Follow me then. Say, since we have a bit of down time, how exactly did you end up here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god, it’s a long story. All that I know is that I’m never going berry picking again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, the three escaped the volcano and snuck out the village base before any more came back. They considered themself extremely lucky to escape the situation that Sly and Chaz knew all too well who was behind. With some information in hand, it was going to be up to the Cooper Gang to help Bob and restore this time period to its original way. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<h2>
  <span>End of The Chapter</span>
</h2>

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